The legal team of journalist Marino Zapete has confirmed that it received notification of the ruling issued by the Third Chamber of the Civil and Commercial Court of Appeals of the National District, which upheld a lawsuit for damages filed against former Attorney General Jean Alain Rodríguez, as reported in Noticias SIN.
In ruling No. 1303-2024-SSEN-00306, the court ordered Rodríguez to pay RD$2,000,000 to Zapete, concluding that the former prosecutor had exerted undue pressure that led to the suspension of his program, thereby unjustly affecting his journalistic work.
The decision reaffirms the protection of freedom of expression against reprisals aimed at restricting the right to information and social oversight.
The ruling includes a dissenting opinion from Judge Daisy Indhira Montás Pimentel, who argued that Maybeth Virginia Rodríguez Sánchez, the former attorney general’s sister, should also be held jointly liable for her involvement in the events. Furthermore, the judge expressed that the compensation awarded to Zapete should have been higher, considering the extent of the damage suffered.
The case stemmed from the journalist’s reporting on public contracts amid ongoing concerns about their transparency. Legal actions taken against Zapete were seen as an attempt to silence his investigative work, prompting the journalist to seek justice through the courts.
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Noticias SIN
17 February 2025