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Sheinbaum Presses Veracruz Prosecutors to Justify 'Terrorism' Charge Against Journalist as Hearing Nears

Rights groups warn the unprecedented use of a terrorism statute against Rafael León risks criminalizing reporting.

Overview

  • Veracruz authorities detained reporter Rafael León Segovia in late December and imputed him for terrorism under Article 311, encubrimiento por favorecimiento, and crimes against public security institutions.
  • President Claudia Sheinbaum urged the state prosecutor to publicly explain the legal basis for the terrorism count and stressed that freedom of expression must prevail.
  • Governor Rocío Nahle now echoes the call for clarification and says there is no terrorism in Mexico, shifting from earlier remarks that defended the action.
  • The prosecutor’s office says it filed the imputations on December 24, a judge imposed preventive detention, and a linkage hearing was scheduled for December 30.
  • Artículo 19 condemned the case as punitive toward journalism, while the defense and family argue the material in question was part of León’s reporting and cite prior harassment.