The fight for press freedom in the Philippines is far from over, and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney is helping with that. In a statement, she said she’ll be part of a legal team representing journalist Maria Ressa.
Maria, who is the CEO of Rappler, is one of the Duterte administration’s bravest critics. In less than a year, she has repeatedly faced criminal charges which were believed to silence her. This year alone, she was arrested twice for alleged cyberlibel and tax evasion.
“Maria Ressa is a courageous journalist who is being persecuted for reporting the news and standing up to human rights abuses,” Amal said in a statement. “We will pursue all available legal remedies to vindicate her rights and defend press freedom and the rule of law in the Philippines.”
The journalist also expressed her gratitude to Amal and the rest of the defense team. “I am delighted that Amal Clooney will be representing me at the international level to challenge the violation of my rights and those of the media organization I represent,” she said in a statement.
The Guardian cited that Amal will be working closely with international lawyers and coordinate with attorneys in the Philippines.
This is also not the first time Amal has represented journalists. Last year, she was part of the legal team of Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who were imprisoned after investigating the Rohingya killings in Myanmar. They were released last May.
We hope Maria Ressa gets ample justice for everything Pres. Duterte did to her.
[The Guardian]
Photo courtesy of @about__clooneys’ Instagram account
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