REGION (International Federation of Journalists/Pacific Media Watch): An online petition to drop the defamation case against two East Timorese journalist’s states prosecuting the journalists is an attack on press freedom and right to information.
The petition is a combined initiative between the Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House and the International Federation of Journalists in support of, former Timor Post journalists, Oki Raimundos and Lourenco Martina Vicente. They have been charged for “slanderous denunciation” by the Timor-Leste government.
The case against the journalists is based on a published report from 10 November 2015, which contained a factual error on a government tendering process.
The outlet subsequently published a correction and right of reply from the Prime Minister’s office in relation to the story. Despite this, the government insisted on prosecuting the journalists, who face up to three years’ imprisonment.
Sign the petition here.
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