Freedom of Expression
Press Release 53/02
THE OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT A SUBPOENA TO FORCE A MEXICAN JOURNALIST TO REVEAL HER SOURCES
The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expresses its concern about the case of Mexican journalist, Dolia Estévez, a correspondent for the newspaper El Financiero. Estévez has been ordered by a federal judge based in Virginia to hand over a list of 23 documents that constitute part of a journalistic investigation on drug trafficking, previously published in the Washington Post, the Washington Times and the Dallas Morning News, among other newspapers.
The investigation linked the owners of a bank to drug trafficking. The journalist has been subpoenaed to hand over the documents before a federal district court in the state of Virginia in connection with a specific case. The 23 documents sought by the tribunal include correspondence, electronic mail, recordings and notes. Estévez's lawyers moved to quash the subpoena based on the journalist's right not to reveal her sources. On February 22, the court will decide whether or not to grant this motion.
The Office of the Special Rapporteur recalls that according to Principle 8 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR, "Every social communicator has the right to keep his/her source of information, notes, personal and professional archives confidential." Therefore, the Office hopes the court will decide in favor of the journalist, preserving the confidentiality of her journalistic sources, by quashing the subpoena.
Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom
of Expression
February 21, 2002
Washington, D.C.