Journalists walk free after court battle with East Timor PM
By Michael Vincent Posted 1 Jun 2017, 8:31pm
Two East Timorese journalists are going on trial in a criminal defamation case brought by Araujo that has alarmed press freedom groups.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has hailed as a victory the acquittal of two journalists in East Timor who had faced the threat of jail for a story they wrote about Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo in 2015.
Journalist Raimundos Oki and his former editor Lourenco Vicente Martins were facing charges of "slanderous denunciation" after Oki wrote an article mistakenly naming a company it claimed Mr Araujo had backed for a government contract.
They apologised and the IFJ said they printed a correction the next day, but Mr Araujo claimed the article damaged his reputation and pressed the criminal defamation charges.
Reporters and supporters had taken to the streets of Dili to protest the charges with prosecutors seeking a one year jail term for Oki.
Read the full report: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-01/journalists-walk-free-after-court-battle-with-east-timor-pm/8581464
See also http://www.easttimorlawandjusticebulletin.com/2009/04/east-timor-2007-criminal-defamation.htmletljb
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