The State of Carabobo's Court of Appeals (in north-central Venezuela) has annulled the ruling that sentenced journalist Francisco "Pancho" Pérez to three years and nine months in prison, disqualified him professionally and politically for the same period of time, and ordered him to pay 1,250 Tax Units (approx. US$18,900).
Pérez began practicing journalism again for the newspaper El Carabobeño on December 6. The Court of Appeals' Ruling is irrevocable.
The sentence that has now been annulled was issued on June 11 after Edgardo Parra, the mayor of the city of Valencia, accused the journalist of defamation and libel against a public official. The annulment came on November 30, according to Instituto Prensa y Sociedad de Venezuela.
