MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Claims of press censorship in Chile

The Inter-American Human Rights Committee Freedom of Expression Special Rapporteur formally requested Chilean authorities to lift the ban on a controversial television documentary that was taken off the air last July 23.

A Santiago Appeals Court banned the airing of a chapter of the program "Enigma" following a request from Mr. Patricio Torres Reyes widow arguing that it would impair the privacy, honour and good name of the family and their deceased father.

However Special Reporter Eduardo Bertoni from the Organization of American States said that the decision to ban the program was an act of "censorship" that is "explicitly prohibited" in article 13 of the Inter-American Human Rights Convention to which Chile adhered and signed in 1990.

"When I last visited Chile in December 2002 I publicly expressed my concerns regarding certain court rulings that curtail the country's freedom of expression", said Mr. Bertoni.

Mr. Torres Reyes was headline news a few years ago when he was stabbed to death during a wild party with two sister prostitutes.

According to the Santiago press apparently the "Enigma" program will show evidence and live confessions from the two sisters, indicating that the wrong prostitute was charged with the murder.

"The killer was Beatrix and not Marcela who was condemned to life imprisonment", pointed out Mr. Patricio Polanco producer of the program.

Another organization that has protested the judicial decision is Human Rights Watch.

"Once again a Chilean court has ignored freedom of expression guarantees enthroned in the Inter-American Human Rights Convention", said Mr. José Miguel Vivanco head of the Latinamerican chapter of Human Rights Watch.

Chilean courts are famous for their disregard of freedom of expression and freedom of the press. Not so long ago a reporter, who wrote a book about the inner proceedings of Chile's Judiciary branch and particularly the attitudes of some members of the Supreme Court, had to flee the country and take refuge in the United States.