A Peruvian court convicts an author and his publisher of defamation
Christopher Acosta
In Lima, Peru's capital city, a criminal court judge ruled on January 10 that journalist Christopher Acosta and Penguin Random House Peru's director Jerónimo Pimentel were guilty of defaming César Acuña, a former mayor, governor, congressman, and two-time presidential candidate. The court sentenced both to two-year suspended prison terms; and ordered Acosta, Pimentel, and Penguin Random House Peru to pay Acu*a a total of 400,000 sols (US $ 102,608) in damages.
Acosta's book "Money Like Popcorn: Secrets, Impunity, and the Fortune of Cesar Acu*a," published by Penguin Random House Peru in February 2021, led Acuña to file his lawsuit. In the book, numerous named sources claim Acuña engaged in vote-buying, misappropriation of public funds, and plagiarism.
The book contains 35 quotes that the judge found damaged Acuña's reputation and honor, despite the fact Acuña has never been convicted of the crimes.
Acosta is the investigations editor at the Lima TV station Latina Noticias and is one of Peru's most respected journalists. As he told CPJ, all the book's allegations against Acuña are directly cited direct quotes from people he interviewed, news articles in the Peruvian media, and investigations by the Attorney General's office, as well as testimony from lawsuits and congressional hearings.
In a few days, his lawyer Roberto Pereira will file an appeal on his behalf.
The United Nations, the European Union, and the U.S. Embassy in Peru responded with statements emphasizing the importance of press freedom as a fundamental component of democracy.
Acuña, who finished seventh in Peru's presidential election last year, applauded the decision. He told Peruvian TV station Willax: "This is my chance to prove my innocence." He added: “I’m not against press freedom but I am against defamation.”
* This article contains information sourced from the Committee to Protect Journalists.
