Article 19 Rejects Abusive Defamation Sentence against Brazilian Editor

Article 19 reports that a journalist in the Amazonian state of Para has been hit with a defamation sentence that can very well put him and his publication out of business.

Back in 2005, Jornal Pessoal's editor Luiz Flavio Pinto published a story about the alleged smuggling activities of late local businessman Romulo Maionara, whose media group, Grupo Liberal, has dominated the local media for many years.

The state's Superior Court sentenced Pinto to pay a US$15,000, which could ery well put him out of business, to publish a note written by the sons of Maionara and, more onerously, "forbade Jornal Pessoal from again publishing any statement that could be considered aggressive, defamatory, calumnious or slanderous in relation to Romulo Maionara and his two sons, or face a further US$15,000 penalty."

Article 19 reports that Pinto, "who has 42 years of experience in reporting on environmental devastation and corruption in the Amazon, has in the past been the victim of death threats, physical attacks and dozens of civil and criminal defamation lawsuits. He currently faces 14 other lawsuits filed by the Maionara brothers."

Living in the Amazon does not give anyone the prerogative to live by the law of the jungle. Pinto is obviously the victim of a judicial system designed to foster the survival of the fittest.

We take exemption to this judicial harassment and urge the Para authorities to declare this decision null and void for the sake of a transparent and accountable society.