SIP is worried by attempts on 30 DR reporters.

SD. The Inter-American Press Society (SIP) criticized, during the 68th Assembly being held in Cadiz, Spain, the fact that in this country there are legitimate worries over the situation of vulnerability and insecurity that surrounds reporting in the Dominican Republic due to the fact that over the last seven months more than30 reporters and radio and television media producers have been attacked, threatened or sued.

The worry is contained in a report on the press situation presented by the Regional vice-president for Freedom of the Press for the SIP and director of the Listin Diario newspaper, Miguel Franjul. In spite of this, he stresses that the country continues to enjoy "a general climate of respect for freedom of the press."

He indicates that some worrisome events that have been registered during the election campaign and that one of the most relevant cases was the military and judicial operation carried out in February against the digital newspaper Siglo21.com, which belongs to journalist Guillermo Gomez. The report cited the fact that although the authorities carried out searches, took equipment, and caused the digital media to be off the air for several hours, and they accused the media of hacking electronic mail and bank accounts, until now, no charges have been filed. The report details how these events occurred after the digital newspaper announced a serried of ten reports on alleged acts of corruption.

Another case recalled by the report was the suit filed against the commentator Marco Martinez, who reported that the First Lady and the vice-presidential candidate, Margarita Cedeño de Fernandez, had bank accounts overseas for some €43 million.

"The Santiago District Attorney interrogated the television commentator but until now there has been judicial process opened against him. The commentator reported at the end of March that his program had been withdrawn from the air by the television channel under government pressure, but the ownership of the channel said that the program was suspended because the producer stopped his live broadcasts for more than a week."

Among the journalists and reporters that have reported pressure or attacks are Ileana Rosario, Edmundo Ledesma, Gilbert Guzman, Joanna Perez, Franklin Guerrero and Johnny Alberto Salazar.