Menardo I. Guevarra, Secretary, Department of Justice
Dear Secretary Guevarra,
I wish to express my dismay at the arrests of Maria Ressa, executive editor of news outlet Rappler, which appears to be part of a broader campaign to silence critics of the Philippine government.
The arrests of Maria Ressa on the evening of 13 February 2019, and again on 29 March, are the latest attack against her and Rappler. It follows the bringing of “tax evasion” charges in December 2018 against Maria Ressa and her company, Rappler Holdings Corp. These charges are still pending in court. Amnesty International believes these, too, are trumped-up charges that were designed to stifle criticism of the President and his "war on drugs".
I urge your office to act swiftly to uphold and protect the freedom of the press. Specifically, I urge you to quash the conviction against Maria Ressa and Rappler, which appear to be solely politically motivated, end the harassment of the media, journalists, and critics of the Duterte administration, and take measures to guarantee their right to freedom of expression and assembly.
Yours Sincerely,
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