Fears for Philippines press freedom as court finds Maria Ressa guilty of libel

Veteran Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, whose website has put President Rodrigo Duterte under tough scrutiny, was convicted of libel on Monday and faces up to six years in jail, in a ruling widely seen as a blow to media freedom. Ressa, chief executive of Rappler (www.rappler.com) and a former CNN journalist, was charged with "cyber libel" over a 2012 article that linked a businessman to illegal activities. After the verdict, Ressa vowed not be silenced and accused the judiciary of becoming complicit in a campaign to stifle press freedom in the Southeast Asian nation.

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