Overview
- Rafael León Segovia, known as Lafita León, was arrested in Coatzacoalcos on Dec. 24 by ministerial police with participation from the Defense Ministry.
- The Veracruz state prosecutor imputed terrorism, encubrimiento por favorecimiento, and offenses against public security institutions.
- President Claudia Sheinbaum said she does not know why the terrorism statute was used and insisted the prosecutor provide a legal justification.
- Sheinbaum stressed that freedom of expression must be protected and that any proven crime must be clearly distinguished from journalistic work.
- Article 19 condemned the detention as criminalization of reporting and noted the case appears unprecedented for a journalist in Mexico.