Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has issued a stark warning regarding the escalating threats to press freedom in Peru, calling it a “major offensive” against journalists in the country. The rights organization has highlighted the role of all three branches of the Peruvian government in undermining press freedom, with actions ranging from judicial harassment to presidential enactments and legislative initiatives aimed at stifling independent media.
The warning comes in the wake of a troubling rise in violence against journalists, with several media professionals killed in the first four months of 2025. RSF noted that this represents the most severe wave of attacks against the press in Peru since 2017, marking a significant deterioration in the country’s democratic climate. The organization has urged Peruvian authorities to halt their aggressive stance toward the media and to implement stronger protections for journalists working in the country.
Peru, according to RSF, has become an increasingly hostile environment for journalists due to a variety of concerning developments. These include state-sponsored legal persecution, public attacks on the press by politicians, and the introduction of new laws that seek to restrict public scrutiny of the government and increase impunity for attacks on journalists.
In particular, RSF has condemned the controversial “gag law,” which passed its first reading in Peru’s Congress in March 2025. This legislation has raised alarms internationally due to its potential to severely curtail freedoms of expression, association, and the press. RSF warned that the bill would increase prison sentences for defamation, grant the government greater control over civil society organizations, and allow for vague sanctions against groups deemed “contrary to public order or national defense.” Journalists have expressed concern that the law could hinder their ability to investigate corruption and hold public officials accountable.
The New York City Bar Association has called on Peru’s Congress to reconsider the bill, emphasizing that it would undermine the vital role of civil society as a check on governmental abuse. Other international bodies, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, have also criticized the bill for imposing disproportionate administrative requirements that restrict civic space and freedom of association.
With a second vote on the bill expected in the coming weeks, RSF has urged Peruvian lawmakers to reject the legislation and protect the fundamental rights of journalists and citizens alike.
In its 2025 World Press Freedom Index, RSF ranked Peru 130th out of 180 countries, citing the increasing use of excessive force by police against journalists covering protests. While the Peruvian Constitution and national laws on transparency and access to public information guarantee press freedom, RSF noted that these laws are often weakly enforced due to institutional fragility and the influence of political and economic interests.
Excerpts from Jurist.com article by Dennis Li | U. Ottawa Faculty of Law, CA
