Threatens against press freedom in Brazil worry ANJ

The National Association of Newspapers (ANJ) has shown preoccupation regarding threatens against the freedom of expression in Brazil, specially reagarding judicial decisions that forbid the publication of reports, during a seminar that celabrated its 30th anniversary on August  17th.

According to ANJ, in the last 12 months there were in Brazil 31 reported cases of violation  of the freedom of expression. Sixteen of them were because of Justice´s decisions. Freedom of expression and information and the future of journalism were the most dabated subjects at this seminar, that took place in Brasilia. Several experienced journalists and re-presenters of big communication companies have participated.

"It is not possible to conceive our activity without a wide freedom. More than a right of newspapers, liberty of information is a right of citizens", said Judith Brito, president of ANJ.

According to Ricardo Pedreira, executive-director of ANJ, the association discusses the possibility of trying  in court  to avoid previous-censorship. "The association analysis if it should do any legal action on Justice, but there are still divergences".

The Greek-British journalist Iason Athanasiadis has spoken about the interrogatories that he has suffered in Iran, where he has remained in jail for 20 days, between June and July this year. He was suspected of spying during the coverage of demonstrations against the results of the last elections, which kept Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the power.

Alon Feuerwerker, from Correio Brasiliense newspaper, thinks the Supreme Federal Court (STF) has already made clear that it is not possible to make an "a priori" control of information, since the right of expression is above other rights, such as the right of image.