December 15, 2021

11:12

Priscilla Peixoto – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – On Tuesday afternoon, 14, the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism (Abraji) released a note of repudiation against councilman and former army sergeant Rosinaldo Bual (PMN). The document was issued shortly after the association learned about the case through the story published by CENARIUM informing a local news portal that the politician expelled a photographer (she would not reveal her name) from the Manaus City Council in the middle of her job.

According to Abraji, the attitude of the councilman hurts the freedom of expression of the press and that parliamentarians and public agents are subject to public observation and must therefore be accountable to society. “Such practice, besides not being in accordance with any provision of the internal regulations of the City Council or any other regulation, affronts the constitutional right to freedom of expression and press, as well as the right of the public to be informed about the activities of the representatives they elected”, says the note.

The published document also requests a position from the House representative and measures to prevent similar attitudes from being repeated. “Abraji highlights that, besides being prevented from exercising her professional activity, the photographer could not have been expelled from a public space, such as the House gallery, since she was not committing any infraction. It is urgent that the presidency of the House and the Internal Procedures’ Office manifest and take measures so that the freedom of the press is not curtailed”, highlights the text.

Read the note in full:

Abraji condemns attitude of councilman who expelled photographer from Manaus city council

“Accompanied by two public servants, Amazonian councilman Rosinaldo Bual (PMN) expelled, on Monday morning (13.dec.2021), a photo reporter who was working in the gallery of the City Council of Manaus (CMM). Her office informed that it will sue the professional and the vehicle for which she provides services, the Manaus 360º website. A Manaus 360º report published on the same day showed that the councilman was one of the parliamentarians who was distracted by his cell phone while the session was taking place. The name of the professional was not revealed.

The executive director of Manaus 360º, Cynthia Blink, said in an interview to Cenarium Magazine that “the parliamentarian arrived at the photographer and said that [she] could not stay there, and one of the servers even said that ‘this will now become a Big Brother'”. From there, the photo reporter was escorted out of the gallery to the chamber’s press room, from where she could not follow the session. In a statement, the site classified the attitude as “cowardly” and announced that it will take appropriate measures.

Former army sergeant, Bual is in his second term. His staff informed that he will only manifest himself in court. Juliana Hurbano, his lawyer, said that she is writing a civil suit against the photographer and the website, which caught him taking selfies during the session. Also contacted by Abraji, the presidency of the Manaus City Council said it had no information about the expulsion of the press professional. The current mayor, Councilman David Reis (Avante), declined to comment.

Abraji emphasizes that the photographer could not have been expelled from a public space, such as the chamber’s gallery, since she was not committing any infraction. It is urgent that the president of the house and the internal affairs department manifest and take measures so that the freedom of the press is not curtailed.

Parliamentarians and public agents are subject to public scrutiny and therefore must account for their actions to society. Such practice, besides not being in accordance with any provision in the internal regulations of the chamber or any other regulation, affronts the constitutional right to freedom of speech and of the press, as well as the right of the public to be informed about the activities of the representatives they elected”.