Paraguay court upholds journalist's 10-year sentence, rejects appeal

The Paraguayan Supreme Court of Justice has dismissed an appeal by journalist Carlos Granada, upholding his 10-year prison sentence for serious misconduct against his employees. Granada, formerly the director of Alba Visión, was convicted of coercion, sexual coercion, and sexual harassment.

His defense team had argued that the sentence was "manifestly unfounded" and sought to overturn a prior ruling by the Criminal Appeals Court. However, the Supreme Court's criminal chamber, comprising ministers Luis María Benítez Riera, María Carolina Llanes, and Manuel Benítez Riera, found the appeal failed to meet essential admission criteria.

Minister Luis María Benítez Riera explained that appeals of this nature must be "duly founded," detailing specific grounds for challenging a verdict and the desired outcome. He noted that Granada's appeal attacked the evaluation of evidence and the factual determination of events, which are matters primarily for the trial court, provided they followed rational critical assessment. The court concluded that the appeal sought to address issues beyond the scope of the extraordinary cassation resource, making its admission impossible.