Dokument #1139376
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
report Attacks on the Press 1992 states that "no one felt
the fallout more than journalists" following Fujimori's proclaimed
self-coup in April 1992 (119). The Peruvian press was submitted to
"censorship, fear, and detention" through "government decrees and
selective attacks" against members of the media (ibid.).
The 1993 CPJ's Attacks on the
Press report underlines that press freedoms were severely
curtailed as a result of Fujimori's war on terrorism and the
dictatorship he installed (139). "Several journalists were jailed
and newsrooms were occupied by troops" (ibid.). Others were
threatened, harassed, sued for defamation or suspected of
supporting terrorism. The antiterrorist measures decreed by
President Fujimori and enacted into law by the 1992 congress made
pretrial detention mandatory with no bail, thus posing a threat to
journalists investigating terrorists groups (ibid.).
Reporters Sans Frontières 1994
Report mentions that "at least 21 journalists were imprisoned in
Peru on 1 January 1994" (250). Accusations against journalists
ranged from subversion to participation with, or having links to, a
terrorist organization. Numerous instances of television, radio and
written press reporters being physically attacked, harassed and
threatened are reported (ibid.).
Reporters Sans Frontières 1995
Report states that "harassed by politicians, the army and drug
runners, over-curious or over-critical Peruvian journalists also
face imprisonment in the name of the fight against terrorism"
(228).
Reporters Sans Frontières 1996
Report, reports that "a law granted an amnesty to state officials
who committed crimes and torture during the 15-year struggle
against guerrillas," insuring impunity to the individuals
responsible for killing journalists (146).
The Web version of the 1997 CPJ's report
Attacks on the Press states that "in the aftermath of
Peru's hostage crisis..., the contentious relationship between the
press and the government of President Alberto Fujimori took a turn
for the worse."
Television and radio reported stories on
links between members of the army and drug traffickers and on the
torture and death of intelligence officers to prevent them,
according to a former military intelligence officer, "from making
public the existence of a secret plan to assassinate several of the
country's top journalists" (ibid.). Baruch Ivner, the Israel-born
owner of the television station Canal 2, lost ownership of his
station after he agreed to air "conversations taped by government
security forces who were spying on journalists" (ibid.).
The attached May 1998 Action Alert from the
International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) says that "the
World Association of Newspapers (WAN) has expressed concern over
increasing press freedom abuses in Peru and has asked President
Alberto Fujimori to investigate charges that reporters have been
killed in recent days by 'government people'" (15 May 1998).
For additional information on the treatment
of journalists in Peru, please consult Response to Information
Request PER23210.E of 4 March 1996 and its attachments available at
regional documentation centres.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
1997. Attacks on the Press 1997. [Internet] http://www.cpj.org/pubs/attacks97/americas/peru.html
(Accessed 24 June 1998)
_____. March 1994. Attacks on the
Press in 1993.
_____. March 1992. Attacks on the
Press 1992.
International Freedom of Expression
(IFEX) Action Alert. 15 May 1998. "WAN Protests Press Freedom
Abuses in Peru." [Internet] http://www.ifex.org/alert (Accessed
25 June 1998)
Reporters Sans Frontières. 1996.
Freedom of the Press Throughout the World: 1996 Report.
_____.1995.Freedom of the Press Throughout the World: 1995 Report.
_____.1994.Freedom of the Press Throughout the World: 1994 Report.
Attachment
International Freedom of Expression
(IFEX) Action Alert. 15 May 1998. "WAN Protests Press Freedom
Abuses in Peru."
[Internet] http://www.ifex.org/alert (Accessed
25 June 1998)
Additional Sources Consulted
Index on Censorship [London].
1994-1998.
United Nations. 1992. Committee Against
Torture. Consideration of reports submitted by states parties under
Article 19 of the Convention: Peru (IN: Committee Against Torture:
reports. no. 7, Add.15).