Members of the Forum of Journalists and Communicators, Oaxaca chapter, demonstrated this Sunday in support of Veracruz journalist Rafael León Segovia, who was formally charged with obstruction of justice and crimes against public security institutions.
About twenty media workers, who demonstrated in El Llano Park in the city of Oaxaca, declared, “Freedom of expression is not negotiable, it cannot be conditioned,” lamenting what happened in the neighboring state of Veracruz, as well as in Campeche and Puebla, where there was an attempt to legislate the so-called gag law last July.
“In the state of Veracruz, journalist Rafael León Segovia has been subjected to legal proceedings stemming from his reporting in a context where the use of the legal system is perceived as a mechanism of pressure against journalistic practice,” they stated, adding that it is regrettable that such actions are being taken against journalists.
The Veracruz government’s message in this situation is clear: “Reporting information can have criminal consequences, which directly violates national and international standards for freedom of expression.” This situation adds to the persecution of Jorge Luis González Valdés in Campeche.
Therefore, they demanded “full respect for freedom of expression and the right to information, and strict adherence to constitutional standards and human rights treaties.”
Source: jornada
