1674026310 Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa cleared of tax evasion in the Philippines

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa outside the Tax Evasion Court in Quezon City, a suburb of Manila, January 18, 2023. Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa outside the Tax Evasion Court in Quezon City, on the outskirts of Manila January 18, 2023. JAM STA ROSA / AFP

“The truth has triumphed. With these words, the Philippine Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa celebrated her legal victory on Wednesday, January 18th. She and her online newspaper Rappler were cleared of four counts of tax evasion, an appeals court heard.

Maria Ressa, co-winner of the prestigious 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, faces three more criminal charges, including a cybercrime conviction, which is currently under appeal and faces nearly seven years in prison.

The 59-year-old veteran journalist, who also has US citizenship, was one of the most vocal critics of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who ruled from 2016 to 2022. With Rappler, whom she co-founded, she led numerous investigations to expose the government’s violent methods in the war on drugs that left thousands dead.

Also read articles for our subscribers Maria Ressa, the public enemy of the Philippine power

In this alleged tax evasion case, the former CNN journalist and site Rappler were accused of making false statements on a tax return following a sale of bonds to foreign investors in 2015. “without a doubt” for tax evasion.

“These charges were politically motivated,” Ms Ressa said on Wednesday. “We were able to prove that Rappler is not a tax evader. “A reverse decision would have had serious consequences for the press and capital markets,” Rappler wrote in a statement, adding that the site will continue to “take its place in freedom of information.”

Maria Ressa has been struggling to avoid prison for years. According to human rights organizations, the lawsuits against them are emblematic of the harassment of the independent press in the Philippines. Ms. Ressa, like Mr. Muratov, was recognized by the Nobel Prize Committee in October 2021 for her fight to “protect freedom of expression”.

” Hope “

Asked Wednesday about the significance of the appeals court’s decision, Ms Ressa replied: “Hope. That’s what she offers. Despite this verdict, the future of Rappler, who was born a decade ago, remains uncertain. He is still fighting an order from the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission.

In June, just days before the end of Mr Duterte’s presidency, the government ordered the website shut down, which it accused of violating “constitutional and legal restrictions on foreign property in the media”. The news organization, which continues to operate, is being sued for allowing outsiders to take control of its website by issuing “certificates of deposit” through its parent company, Rappler Holdings.

Also read: Philippines: Shutdown of opposition media “Rappler” ordered

According to the constitution, media investments are limited to Filipinos or Filipino-controlled companies. The allegation stems from a 2015 investment in Rappler by an American company, Omidyar Network, founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar.

Test your general knowledge by writing the “world”

Discover

In September, the new President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said he would not interfere in Ms. Ressa’s affairs, citing the separation of powers.

In October, a few months after taking office, Ms Ressa was convicted of online defamation.

Read also Article reserved for our subscribers Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize winner: “We have entered the era of digital authoritarianism”

The world with AFP