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The second criminal court of the Bogotá circuit issued a ruling in favor of a guardianship filed by sister of former paramilitary Juan Guillermo Monsalve, one of the most important witnesses in the process against former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez for alleged bribery of witnesses and procedural fraud.
In guardianship, the Monsalve’s sister affirmed that Semana Magazine, through its digital channel Semana TV, and journalists Vicky Dávila and Jairo Lozano, had violated their rights to the personal and family privacy.
In dialogue with La FM, Vicky davila, director of Semana TV, indicated that this ruling is not serious for her or for the media, but it does represent a fact concerning for press freedom and democracy.
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“Semana magazine, understanding the significance of the ‘Urbe case’, decided to publish the file and make it available to all Colombians and in this work pieces from all the parties involved have been presented. In that file we published some interventions made to the Monsalve family, since he is the star witness in the case. “
Davila noted that the Monsalve’s family has also been the protagonist of the file, as there is a controversy around some aid they have received.
“This ruling comes because one of Monsalve’s relatives puts up a guardianship, but the judge’s arguments are tremendously damaging to press freedom and copies are certified to the prosecution, because supposedly there was a violation of the summary reserve. “
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The director of Semana TV stressed that the ruling will be followed, but reiterated that this judicial decision violates democracy and freedom of expression. “They want to shut us up and punish us for having dared to publish the file full of a case that has historical significance in the country “.
Dávila assured that they have disguised a censorship action under the argument that there was a violation of a reservation and therefore the media has surrounded itself with “lawyers of the best quality, to act in defense of freedom of expression and democracy“.
“We are making contact with the Flip together with all the organizations that defend freedom of the press and opinion, we are going to strive to ensure that don’t put a gag on freedom of the press. “
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Vicky davila He also questioned the scope of this ruling as he recalled that several investigations related to major scandals in the country, have taken flight thanks to the “reserved elements” that journalists have been publishing. “The investigations on the ‘ñeñepolítica’ would not exist, if the journalists had not published some audios“.
“Here it’s not about ideologiesIt is about the freedom of the press that applies to all journalists without distinction. Journalists are not judges, our obligation is to reveal things and There cannot be a decision that breaks the work of a journalist. “
On the other hand, Dávila stressed that in the middle they were very careful with the information that was published, because “the names of someone’s children were never mentioned, the recordings that we present in their entirety are related to the Monsalve case. “
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“We do not mention proper names, the same judge is the one who sets the sections in which he considers that we were replacing justice. We have not even issued opinions, we have not wanted to replace justice“.
Finally, Vicky Dávila indicated that at this time they expect the justice guarantees their right as journalists, “we have no doubt that a second instance will give a reasonable ruling and in accordance with the rights that protect us as journalists “.
