Peru: RSF calls on president Keiko Fujimori to improve alarming state of press freedom

The problematic state of journalism in Peru cannot be ignored. The country ranks 144th out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index, and last year was the deadliest for the Peruvian press in almost three decades. The investigations into the four journalist killings in 2025 - Gastón Medina Sotomayor, Raúl Celis López, Juan Fernando Núñez Guevara and Mitzar Castillejos Tenazoa- have still not identified all the perpetrators or clarified their motives, meaning criminals have not faced consequences for their actions.. n just the past two months, an explosive was thrown into the home of journalist Julio Aquise after he reported on police corruption for the news outlet En Directo JA, and Kevin Rodríguez of the radio stations Otorongo News and La Voz de la Selva found an envelope with two bullets and a threatening message at his home after investigating the use of municipal public funds.

Now, it is Keiko Fujimori's responsibility to turn the deteriorating situation around.

A timeline of this year's worrying institutional developments

In addition to violence against journalists, state institutions are often instrumentalised against the press. The past six months have seen a series of concerning legislative and court decisions that could harm media freedom.

On 24 February, journalists were denied entry to the Government Palace during the swearing-in of the new cabinet. Later, on 26 July, journalists were prevented from entering the Senate chamber during the election of its first governing board and had to rely on the Congress's official broadcast. Direct access is essential for journalists to observe, question officials and independently report on decisions of public interest.

In March 2026, retired Army General and former Lima mayoral candidate Daniel Urresti was released after the Constitutional Court overturned his 12-year prison sentence for the 1988 murder of journalist Hugo Bustíos. Urresti's conviction was an exceptional step forward in combating impunity for crimes against journalists. For RSF, the court's decision marks a serious setback and demonstrates the consequences that weakening checks and balances has on press freedom.

In April 2025, Law 32301 was enacted, expanding state control over independent organisations, including media outlets, that receive international funding. The law - which was promoted by Fuerza Popular, the party led by Keiko Fujimori - does not establish a minimum funding threshold and exposes these organisations to registration requirements, administrative inspections, sanctions and restricted access to funding. It also prohibits the use of these funds in administrative, judicial or other actions against the Peruvian state.

In June 2026, Congress recommended initiating criminal proceedings against Gustavo Gorriti, director of the digital media outlet IDL-Reporteros, and in July a prosecutor requested that he be prosecuted for alleged bribery, portraying his relationship with prosecutors and his outlet's reporting as potential unlawful advantages. Gorriti's case is emblematic of a broader pattern of surveillance attempts, threats and judicial proceedings targeting journalists who investigate corruption and senior politicians. His news outlet is also subject to ongoing administrative inspections under Law 32301.

Also in June, the Specialised Public Prosecutor's Office for Crimes against Public Order filed criminal charges against journalist Claudia Cisneros, from the news outlet Wayka, over comments she made on social media about the transparency of the electoral process.

On 2 July, the Constitutional Court - the country's highest authority for interpreting the Constitution - made public a ruling ordering the removal of three articles published in 2014 by the newspaper El Comercio. The newspaper had updated the articles and included information clearing one of the individuals mentioned of responsibility. Despite this, the Court ordered the complete deletion of the publications. The ruling may encourage further requests to remove information that was originally accurate concerning corruption, organised crime and other matters of public interest.

In July 2026, Law 32735 gave military and police courts jurisdiction over alleged offences committed by security forces while performing their duties. Now, reported abuses committed by police or military personnel against journalists during protests or security operations could be handed to the military and police, rather than being investigated by independent civilian authorities.

The seven RSF recommendations to the new government

RSF calls on President Keiko Fujimori, Congress and the Public Prosecutor's Office to:

1. Provide public, verifiable progress reports on the investigations into the four murders of journalists committed in 2025 and the attacks against journalists recorded in 2026;
2. Establish a specialised journalist protection mechanism with its own budget, the ability to provide a rapid response and an effective presence beyond the capital;
3. Amend Law 32301 to repeal arbitrary controls and sanctions against media outlets and journalistic organisations that receive international funding;
4. Guarantee the confidentiality of sources, the integrity of journalistic archives and the right to keep reliable news reporting in the public interest available to the public;
5. End the misuse of criminal proceedings, surveillance measures, and parliamentary investigations to intimidate journalists and investigate those in power;
6. Ensure that attacks against journalists committed by state agents are investigated by the ordinary justice system, with independent judicial authorities, rather than by military or police courts;
7. Guarantee journalists' physical access to Congress and the Presidential Palace to ensure in-person news coverage.