Dutch journalist jailed in Panama for criminal defamation

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published November 30, 2016

NEW YORK - Authorities in Panama should immediately release Dutch journalist Okke Ornstein, who has been detained since November 15, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday.

Ornstein, a Panama-based journalist who runs the news website Bananama Republic, was arrested in relation to a 2012 criminal defamation conviction when he arrived at Panama City international airport, according to his lawyer, Manuel Succari.

"Panamanian authorities should immediately release Okke Ornstein and work to remove outdated criminal defamation penalties from the legal code," said Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas. "Laws that send journalists to prison for something they write or broadcast violate international standards of free expression."

Ornstein was convicted of criminal defamation on December 14, 2012 and sentenced to 20 months in jail after Monte Friesner, a Canadian, filed a complaint over a report by the journalist alleging that Friesner engaged in dubious business practices in Panama, according to news reports and court documents reviewed by CPJ.

Succari said an appeal was rejected in 2013. In 2015, the courts reissued an arrest warrant to keep the case active, although no attempt had been made to arrest Ornstein.

CPJ attempted to reach Friesner via Facebook messenger for comment, but did not immediately receive a response. Attempts by CPJ to reach the office of the Public Prosecutor in Panama for comment were unsuccessful.

The journalist's family said that Ornstein, who also reports for Dutch outlets and is a stringer for Al-Jazeera, has traveled in and out of Panama regularly since the 2012 conviction and a separate conviction a year later, without being stopped.

Ornstein's lawyer in the Netherlands, Channa Samkalden, told CPJ that Ornstein was convicted in the second criminal defamation case in 2013 and sentenced to 18 months in prison over reports about the environmental and business practices of a company in Panama. Samkalden said that Ornstein appealed the conviction in 2014. In 2015 a judge replaced the jail term with a fine. In November, a court overturned the appeal ruling and reinstated the prison term after Ornstein allegedly failed to pay the fine of US$3,500, Succari said, but added the journalist had not been formally notified of the change by the courts and is being held only on the 2012 conviction.

The business owners -- Patricius Johannes Visser, Keren Visser, and Maurice Kerps -- also filed a civil complaint in the Netherlands in December 2015, that a court upheld, Samkalden said. Ornstein is appealing.

Ornstein's website, Bananama Republic, is currently unavailable. An August 15 post on its Facebook page said the website has been closed pending legal proceedings in the Netherlands.

"It is an extraordinary situation, given that Ornstein has been living in Panama without any problem since the convictions and has left and returned to the country on numerous occasions since then," his lawyer, Samkalden said.

Kimberlyn David, Ornstein's partner, told CPJ the journalist is "holding up really well, despite the fact the he knows it is a very challenging situation." She said Ornstein has been in touch with the Dutch embassy in Panama City.

Courts and lawmakers throughout the Americas have found that civil remedies provide adequate redress in cases of alleged libel and slander. - Committee to Protect Journalists

India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels following Pahalgan attack

 April 28, 2025:  India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets and individual journalists, following the deadly Pahalgam attack. Tensions escalate as Islamabad demands a neutral probe.

Coordinated or coincidence? Identical tweets by Pakistani journalists raise eyebrows

 April 23, 2025:  Pakistani journalists respond in unison to a post hinting at a possible Indian military strike. Citing the 2019 ‘Swift Retort,’ they warn of a stronger response if provoked again.

Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists after PTI expulsion

 April 21, 2025:  After being expelled from PTI, MNA Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists and Aleema Khan, sparking outrage on social media over his offensive remarks.

Journalist Sanaullah Khan alleges FIA blocking accounts of YouTubers and families

 April 21, 2025:  Journalist Sanaullah Khan reveals that the FIA has launched a financial crackdown on YouTubers by freezing the bank accounts of journalists and their family members—raising serious concerns over freedom of expression and legal process.

A launch in style: Dr. Nauman Niaz unveils 'In A Different Realm'

 April 20, 2025:  Dr. Nauman Niaz launched his fifteenth book, In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple and Triple Centuries 1876–2025, at an elegant Islamabad event, reflecting on cricket’s rarest feats and his journey as a scholar of the game.

Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning

 April 11, 2025:  Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.

AJK government registers case against newspaper and staff

 April 10, 2025:  The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.

Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges FIA threats, possible arrest over reporting

 April 08, 2025:  Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.