Filipino Journalist and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa Acquitted of Tax Evasion Charges
HAVANA TIMES – In the Philippines, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and journalist Maria Ressa has been acquitted of tax evasion charges in what was widely seen as a politically motivated case. Ressa is the founder of the independent news outlet Rappler and was a vocal critic of former Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte, whose government filed the charges. Ressa spoke earlier today.
Maria Ressa: “These charges, as you know, were politically motivated. They were incredible to us, a brazen abuse of power, and meant to stop journalists from doing their jobs. … Today, facts win. Truth wins. Justice wins.”
Despite today’s acquittal, Maria Ressa’s legal problems are not over. She is currently on bail as she appeals a six-year prison sentence handed down in 2020 for a libel conviction. Click here to see our interviews with Maria Ressa.