Mexico
President eliminates prison sentences for libelPosted Apr 20 2007
Mexico President Felipe Calderon signed a bill April 12 that will eliminate prison sentences for libel or defamation laws. Press organizations have said that jail terms for those offenses allowed public figures to retaliate against reporters by threatening to lock them up. Both offenses will now be punishable by fines, and violators can face civil suits. “Decriminalization is a positive step for Mexican democracy,” said Gonzalo Marroquin, president of the press freedom committee of the Inter American Press Association. “We hope this step will be taken into account by other leaders in Latin America.”