Philippine Court Tosses Libel Case Against Journalist Maria Ressa
Voice of America
MANILA - A Philippine court has dismissed a libel case against Maria Ressa, one of several lawsuits filed against the journalist who says she has been targeted because of her news site's critical reports on President Rodrigo Duterte.
The plight of Ressa, who was named Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for fighting media intimidation, has raised international concern about the harassment of journalists in the Philippines, a country once seen as a standard bearer for press freedom in Asia. The cyber-libel case was filed by a college professor against Ressa and a reporter at her news site, Rappler, in October. It involved a story alleging that the professor gave students better grades in exchange for money, an accusation he denied.French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visit the memorial center during the 80th anniversary of the massacre of 643 persons by Nazi German forces, in Oradour-sur-Glane, France, on June 10, 2024. French President Emmanuel Macron (2ndL), the Mayor of Oradour-sur-Glane (L), and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier (2ndR) walk along a street in Oradour-sur-Glane, June 10, 2024. French President Macron (L) and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stand together as they pay their respects during a ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre, June 10, 2024.
Swiss President Viola Amherd, center, speaks during a press conference ahead of the Ukraine peace conference being organized by Switzerland, in Bern on June 10, 2024. Ukrainian flags flutter over hundreds graves of Ukrainian servicemen killed in fighting since the Russian invasion, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on June 6, 2024.