translated from Spanish: “Authorities must protect reform director for attacks against”: article 19

Photo / file
Mexico.-in a statement the organization Article 19, same that promotes and defends the rights of freedom of expression and access to information, said that on the night of April 24, the general editorial director of the newspaper Reforma, Juan E. Pardinas, was the victim of death threats, harassment and attempted doxxing by social networks by unknown individuals, also began a campaign of vilification with the hashtag #NarcoReforma.
In its statement the organization that defends the rights of journalists said:
These attacks are derived from that Monday, April 22 the newspaper Reforma published note “Reinforce surveillance in house of AMLO” and which was published in the direction of the Presidential Palace, however, this address is in the public domain since the electoral campaign of 2018.
Later on April 23, the President of the Republic, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, spent part of his morning Conference to discredit the newspaper Reforma. According to documented by the own means and narrated by Juan Pardinas, “this would be the tenth third time the President from attacking the newspaper.” “On this occasion complained of was published the address of his home, which he acknowledged is in the public domain.”
After this Conference, that same day in the afternoon was positioned as trendig topic on Twitter hashtag #NarcoReforma. Where concluded is that dissemination of the direction of the President was sign of the collusion of the newspaper with organized crime. In addition, and under this hashtag, was requested to disseminate the address family of the general editorial director of the newspaper and even encouraged to set fire to the premises of the newspaper with Pardiñas inside.
As ARTICLE 19 has been reiterating it, stigmatizing speech uttered by one of the authorities of more relevance in the country, has a direct impact in terms of the protection or risk that can be generated towards the work of the press, as it permeates in the speech of the the rest of the society and even gets to generate attacks, as we see it in the present case.
The above, it is well known by him, to the extent that on the morning of April 15 conference told the press “if passed, you know what happens, but not me, is people…”. These situations should be prevented and desincentivadas by the President, but on the contrary has been observed as they are encouraged.
This is not the first time that ARTICLE 19 documents attacks on the press through social media following coverage in the morning lectures. It is also important to remember that in the report special #GobiernoEspía, ARTICLE 19, R3D, and Social ICT in coordination with Citizen Lab documented and corroborated that Juan E. Pardiñas was one of the victims of malicious software Pegasus, which was intended to spy on him[1].
Therefore, ARTICLE 19 requires the President of the Mexican Republic, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, refrain from generating any act that inhibit the exercise of freedom of expression that might put at greater risk the life, liberty, integrity and security of journalist; This includes maintaining a stigmatizing discourse.
We also call on the Special Prosecutor for the crimes committed against the freedom of expression (FEADLE) to investigate the threats against Juan E. Pardinas and poured Reforma newspaper on social networks.
Finally, call is made to the mechanism of protection for defenders of human rights and journalists to incorporate the journalist in an extraordinary way and prevent any threats on social networks materialize.
Source: Article 19

Original source in Spanish