IAB urges the guarantee of due process and a fair trial for journalist Rafael León Segovia in Mexico
The International Association of Broadcasters (IAB) expresses its concern regarding the detention of Mexican journalist Rafael León Segovia, which took place in the municipality of Coatzacoalcos, State of Veracruz, and the criminal proceedings he is facing for serious offenses, within a context that has raised concern among the journalistic community and organizations defending freedom of expression.
IAB recalls that every journalist has the right to full judicial guarantees, including the right to due process, the presumption of innocence, and to be tried by an independent and impartial judge, in accordance with the Mexican Constitution, current legislation, and international human rights treaties ratified by the Mexican State.
In contexts of high levels of violence and the presence of organized crime, such as those affecting various regions of the country, it is especially important that judicial proceedings against media professionals are not used as mechanisms of pressure, retaliation, or indirect punishment for the exercise of journalistic work. IAB warns that the criminalization of journalism may generate a serious chilling effect on freedom of expression and on society’s right to be informed.
IAB respectfully urges the Mexican authorities to ensure that the proceedings against journalist Rafael León Segovia are conducted in full compliance with the rule of law, without political interference, guaranteeing his personal integrity, his right to defense, and a fair and impartial trial.
Montevideo, December 30, 2025.