Christopher Acosta: The US and UK embassies speak out in favor of freedom of expression and the press

The sentencing of journalist Christopher Acosta, author of Plata Como Cancha, and Jeronimo Pimentel, editor of Penguim Random House, following a defamation suit brought by businessman and leader of the Alliance for Progress, Cesar Acuña, It caused a worldwide conversation.

for this reason, US and UK embassies, in Peru, and the United Nations, through their social networks to provide support “One of the most fundamental human rights”, It is how they understand freedom of expression.

These institutions shared the same message on Twitter, where they argued that freedom of the press serves as the “foundation of every democracy” and that they are “working day in and day out” to advance this right.

“Freedom of expression, including freedom of the press as the basis of all democracy, is one of the most fundamental human rights,” Read the letter from both embassies and the United Nations.

“The United States/UK advocate strict respect for this right anywhere in the world and work to advance it every day,” The statement ends.

Acosta and . names Pimentel It resonated powerfully across the country and the rest of the world after Judge Raul Jesus Vega, of the 30th Criminal Liquidation Court of the Supreme Court of Justice of Lima, issued a two-year suspended prison sentence and a payment of 400,000 civil compensation to subcontractors.

Initially, in November 2021, Acuña requested civil damages of 100 million sols from the Supreme Court of Lima from the two involved in the publication of “Plata Como Cancha”. “Acuña’s suit in which he seeks to convict me of a charge of serious defamation, in addition to [la editorial] Penguin Random House we pay him a repair of 100 million Sudanese pounds, and he is mainly dependent on the choice made by his lawyer, because he asserts that he has not read the book, which is 55 sentences “, Acosta told El Comercio newspaper at the time.

Cesar Acuña’s defense claimed that about 55 sentences of the “Plata como cancha” were defamatory, despite the fact that the publication quotes and includes statements from third parties that have appeared in previous interviews.

The judge ruled that “acts detrimental to the honor and reputation” of Cesar Acuña had been committed and determined that in the 35 judgments questioned, Acosta is in violation of defamation.

Christopher Acosta’s latest data

“I wonder what Mr. Acuña achieved with this empirical victory, condemning a journalist for all these quotes, which he did not want to be made public, pouring into social networks and appearing in the media. I feel that the man has received very bad advice and with this judicial victory, he has achieved general defeat, Acosta said this morning for Latina.

Now, Acosta will proceed to appeal what happened with Acuña. According to his words, he still had the second degree, which would be officially awarded today. “There is a second degree, we will even go to the Supreme Court, because justice helps us in having enough international jurisprudence that has dealt with this kind of controversy,” mentioned.

“The appeal is pending, today we must get an official response. With the documents in the hands of my attorney, we will be appealing in a room with 3 judges, not 1, there are 3 different criteria that will determine whether or not this sentence is valid”he added.

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