Cozumel, Q.R. — A Cozumel police officer has been charged with obstruction of freedom and abuse of authority against an island journalist. The charges stem from an incident last year when a reporter was covering an island story.
During his videoing, several police officers attempted to stop him from recording the events. At least one of those officers was captured in a physical altercation with the island reporter.
On Friday, that island officer was charged with abuse of authority and freedom of expression from the September 2022 incident.
In a statement from the Attorney General’s Office (FGR), “Luis Manuel “C” was charged for his probable responsibility in the crimes of abuse of authority and aggravated violation of freedom of expression to the detriment of a journalist in Cozumel, Quintana Roo.”
The charges were made through the Special Prosecutor’s Office for the Attention of Crimes Committed against Freedom of Expression (FEADLE) of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Human Rights (FEMDH).
“These events occurred in Cozumel when a journalist was documenting an event of public interest. Luis Manuel “C”, as a member of the Quintana Roo State Police, approached the journalist and demanded that he leave the scene, then subdued him with the use of force without justified reason and thus released him moments later,” the FGR detailed in their statement.
“As a result, the agent of the Public Ministry of the Federation (MPF), assigned to the FEADLE, presented charges for the crimes of abuse of authority and against aggravated freedom of expression, since the now accused person used violence and detained the journalist without justified cause, using his character as a public servant to restrict and undermine the freedom of expression of the affected person.
A Cancun judge from the Federal Criminal Justice Center granted the protection measures to the victim and witnesses as requested by the Prosecutor’s Office and determined a complementary investigation period of one month.
