Columbia Global Freedom of Expression has filed an amicus curiae brief to uphold international freedom of expression standards and protect investigative journalism in a case involving illegal surveillance of Chilean journalist Mauricio Weibel Barahona.

In August, CGFoE submitted an amicus curiae brief before the Seventh Court of Guarantee in Santiago, Chile, in a case concerning the illegal surveillance of journalist Mauricio Weibel Barahona. Weibel was targeted through an unlawful intelligence operation aimed at intimidating him and suppressing his investigations into military corruption — a grave violation of both his right to report and the public’s right to know.

In its submission, CGFoE urged the Court to recognize the structural implications of the case and reaffirm that unlawful surveillance of journalists constitutes a serious form of censorship and an unacceptable interference with fundamental rights. The brief emphasized Chile’s obligations under international human rights law and called for a strong judicial response to safeguard press freedom, protect journalists from reprisals, and ensure the public’s access to information essential for democratic life.

The brief was authored by our Associate Director, Hawley Johnson; our Prize Manager, Alejandra Negrete Morayta; our Program Coordinator, Estefanía Mullally; our Senior Legal Researcher, Lautaro Furfaro; and our Senior Legal Editor Juan Manuel Ospina Sánchez.