For the first time ever, Reporters Without Borders is publishing a list of profiles of “100 information heroes” for World Press Freedom Day (3 May).Through their courageous work or activism, these “100 heroes” help to promote the freedom enshrined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the freedom to “to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” They put their ideals in the service of...

A homemade bomb badly damaged journalist Edvan Ríos Chanca’s home in Huancayo, in the central region of Junín, at dawn yesterday, shaking but not injuring its four inhabitants, one of them a child, according to regional newspapers and the Press and Society Institute (IPYS), which defends freedom of expression and information. “We condemn this attack and demand a full investigation into its origin and perpetrators,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Some...

Peruvian civil society organizations like Hiperderecho, a partner organization with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, are organizing an online campaign to collect signatures demanding that the country's president, Ollanta Humala Tasso, establish clear, "non-negotiable" points during the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations with the United States and other Pacific nations that could affect Peruvians' access to the Internet, among other issues. According to the No Negociable (Not...

The Peruvian government should act to prevent the unlawful use of lethal force by security forces during crowd-control operations, Human Rights Watch said today in a letter to President Ollanta Humala. Fifteen civilians were killed during protests, allegedly by security forces, in the first year of Humala’s presidency. A Human Rights Watch investigation into one of the most recent cases - involving the shooting deaths of four civilians during a protest in Celendín, Cajamarca...

The Peruvian authorities should carry out a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the killing of five civilians during violent protests against mining activities in the Cajamarca region. The authorities should also investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest of an environmental activist, Marco Arana, and his treatment in detention. Three civilians died from gunshot wounds on July 3, 2012, in the city of Celendín during a confrontation between protesters and...

Iran's president on Tuesday lauded his country's newly launched Spanish-language satellite TV channel, saying it would deal a blow to "dominance seekers" - remarks that were an apparent jab at the U.S. and the West. The launch is Tehran's latest effort to reach out to friendly governments in Latin America and follows Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's four-nation tour of the region earlier in January, which included stops in Cuba and visits to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Ecuador. It also comes...

“It appears that Iranian organizations provide support to other terrorist organizations" in South America, Peruvian ex-chief of staff says. The world needs to act to counter the growing presence of Iranian-supported terrorist organizations throughout South America, former chief of staff of the Peruvian Armed Forces, Gen. Francisco Contreras, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday. Contreras served as the head of the Peruvian Military until about half a year ago, when he retired...

Arbitrarily releasing former President Alberto Fujimori from serving his full prison sentence for human rights crimes would be incompatible with Peru's obligations under international law, Human Rights Watch said today. Fujimori recently received medical treatment, and there have been some calls for a "humanitarian pardon." Although early release of a seriously ill prisoner on humanitarian grounds is a legitimate practice, it should only be granted on the basis of an independent,...

Radio journalist Julio Castillo Narváez’s murder in Virú (in the northwestern department of La Libertad) on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, has cast a further shadow over a day that is meant to be a celebration for journalists and media all over the world. Unidentified gunmen shot him six times while he was having lunch in a restaurant. His death was very probably linked to his work as the producer of a news programme on Radio Ollantay. He had been very critical of the...

(Washington, DC) - Peru should conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the killing of 3 demonstrators and injuring of at least 31 others during confrontations with the police in Islay province, Human Rights Watch said today. The confrontations, since April 3, 2011, came during protests against the results of an environmental impact test of a potential mining project in the province of Islay. A local human rights group said in a statement that the police threw tear gas...