The authorities of El Salvador have arrested Luis Alexander Rivas Samayoa, a tweeter who on August 21 published a message about the deployment of security on a beach due to the presence of one of the brothers of the President Nayib Bukele.
The attorney general, Rodolfo Delgado, reported the event on Monday, via Twitter: “An arrest warrant has been issued against Luis Alexander Rivas Samayoa. One thing is freedom of expression and another is to attack the integrity of people. Freedom of expression cannot be used to commit crimes.”
According to local media, a court in El Salvador moved to the investigation stage a criminal proceeding against the Twitter user for the charge of “disrespect” against the public administration and the Salvadoran president.
The printing press reported that Rivas, better known on the social network Twitter as ‘The Commissioner‘, faced the initial hearing on Monday, where he was prosecuted for the crime of contempt.
The media outlet also indicates that Rivas has been deprived of liberty since the same day he posted his message on Twitter and that he was brought before the court on September 2.
Rivas’ defense attorney told Graphic Press that now Rivas is accused of insulting officials.
Local media indicate that Rivas’s family, who went to the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office (PDDH) to report his capture two days after his arrest, fears for the life of the tweeter, who has more than 8,000 followers. .
The Penal Code of El Salvador establishes that contempt has sentences of between six months and three years in prison. But, if the crime is against the president, “the penalty may be increased by up to a third of its maximum.”
Juan Pappier, a researcher for the Americas Division of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) organization, criticized the measure on Twitter: “The crime of contempt, as provided for in Salvadoran law, contradicts international standards on freedom of expression”.
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