Argentine court overturns restrictions on journalists imposed by AFA officials

The Chamber of Appeals and Guarantees in Criminal Matters of San Isidro has overturned restrictions previously imposed on five journalists. These measures had been requested by Claudio Tapia and Pablo Toviggino, the president and treasurer of the Argentine Football Association (AFA), respectively.

The revoked restrictions prohibited the journalists—Nicolás Pizzi, Federico Teijeiro, Bruno Yacono, Luis Gasulla, and Mariano Roa—from contacting the officials or their families, and prevented them from capturing or disseminating specific information and images related to the private sphere of the complainants.

The Association of Argentine Journalistic Entities (ADEPA), acting as amicus curiae, welcomed the decision, calling it a “valuable precedent” for freedom of expression. ADEPA warned that judicializing investigative journalism through criminal complaints or preventive measures can act as a mechanism for prior censorship and hinder the public's right to information.