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World’s Media calls on French Prime Minister to Raise Press Freedom Concerns During Official Visit to Ecuador

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World’s Media calls on French Prime Minister to Raise Press Freedom Concerns During Official Visit to Ecuador

Article ID:

18922

On the eve of an official visit to Quito, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum (WEF) have called on French Prime Minister Manuel Valls to raise the issue of declining press freedom in Ecuador.

Paris, France and Frankfurt, Germany 25 June 2015

For immediate release

On the eve of an official visit to Quito, the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) and the World Editors Forum (WEF) have called on French Prime Minister Manuel Valls to raise the issue of declining press freedom in Ecuador.

In a letter signed by WAN-IFRA President Tomas Brunegård, WEF President Marcelo Rech, and WAN-IFRA’s French board members, and sent to the Prime Minister on Wednesday, the global organisation for the world’s newspapers and news publishers conveyed serious concerns to the leader of the French government.

“The press is becoming increasingly docile, sacrificing its editorial independence in order to avoid the public attacks of President Rafael Correa as well as arbitrary and disproportionate economic and judicial sanctions,” the letter from WAN-IFRA said.

The WAN-IFRA Board, representing more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries, recently spoken out on behalf of Ecuador’s beleaguered press on 31st May 2015 during WAN-IFRA’s 67th World News Media Congress held in Washington DC.

Issuing a press freedom resolution on Ecuador, the WAN-IFRA Board urged President Correa to “immediately stop all forms of harassment, judicial pressure and violence against the media,” and to “ensure an environment for independent public debate, in which critical opinions and opposition voices can express themselves freely and without fear.” The resolution can be read here http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/132611/.

Prime Minister Vall’s visit coincides with the second anniversary of the adoption of the Ecuadorian Communication Law (also known as the “Organic” Communication Law), which has imposed arbitrary and punitive sanctions against the media and is overseen by the highly criticised Super Committee of Communication and Information. In two years nearly 200 media companies have been penalised under the law, with sanctions including fines and imposed corrections strictly set out by the oversight committee.

“We recognise the French government’s positive commitment to freedom of information,” said the letter from WAN-IFRA, which also called on representatives of the French government to voice concerns in order “to end a systematic and authoritarian policy of gagging the independent press in the country.”

The full letter to Prime Minister Valls can be read here: http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/134540/

In 2012, WAN-IFRA released a report detailing the press freedom situation in Ecuador, in which it denounced the authoritarian shift of the government along with a sophisticated strategy designed to marginalise the independent press as a means of controlling public debate. The report can be downloaded here: http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/51511/

For more information regarding WAN-IFRA’s work to defend and promote press freedom worldwide, visit http://www.wan-ifra.org/pressfreedom

Author

Rodrigo Bonilla's picture

Rodrigo Bonilla

Date

2015-06-25 17:17

Author information

In countless countries, journalists, editors and publishers are physically attacked, imprisoned, censored, suspended or harassed for their work. WAN-IFRA is committed to defending freedom of expression by promoting a free and independent press around the world. Read more ...