Freedom of Expression

Press Release R18/12

PRESS RELEASE

 

R18/12

 

OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR CONDEMNS A NEW MURDER

OF A JOURNALIST IN BRAZIL

 

 

 

Washington D.C., February 15, 2012 − The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the murder of Brazilian journalist Paulo Roberto Cardoso Rodrigues, which took place on February 12 in Ponta Porá, Mato Grosso do Sul, on the border with Paraguay. The Office of the Special Rapporteur expresses its concern over this second murder of a journalist in less than a week and asks the authorities to conduct a prompt and diligent investigation to establish the motive of the crime, identify and appropriately punish the perpetrators.

 

According to the information received, on the evening of February 12, two men on a motorcycle fired gunshots at the vehicle driven by Cardoso Rodrigues, a.k.a. Paulo Rocaro, wounding him several times. The reporter was taken to a hospital where he died hours later. Cardoso Rodrigues had a long career in newspaper and was the editor in chief of the Jornal da Praça and founder of the Mercosul News website. The journalist was critical of his town´s local authorities.

 

The ninth principle of the IACHR Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression states: "The murder, kidnapping, intimidation of and/or threats to social communicators, as well as the material destruction of communications media violate the fundamental rights of individuals and strongly restrict freedom of expression. It is the duty of the state to prevent and investigate such occurrences, to punish their perpetrators and to ensure that victims receive due compensation."

 

The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression was created by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to encourage the defense of the right to freedom of thought and expression in the hemisphere, given the fundamental role this right plays in consolidating and developing the democratic system.