IAPA expresses solidarity with The New York Times over Trump's lawsuit: 'It's an attack on press freedom'

The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expressed its solidarity with The New York Times on Tuesday following the defamation lawsuit filed by U.S. President Donald Trump against the outlet and four of its reporters, in an act it described as an "attack on press freedom."

"This action does not seek justice, but rather the use of the courts as a political weapon to intimidate and punish critical press. This is a direct attack on press freedom," IAPA Executive Director José Roberto Dutriz said in a statement.

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“Lawsuits of this nature threaten to discourage independent journalism and violate fundamental principles enshrined in the First Amendment,” he added.

The Miami-based body noted that U.S. jurisprudence has set a high standard for proving defamation against public figures, and pointed to previous cases in which Trump has filed lawsuits against other media outlets.

The lawsuit against The New York Times and four of its reporters, as well as the publishing house Penguin Random House, was filed Tuesday in a Florida court and seeks $15 billion in damages.

According to Trump, the reporters and the outlet published three defamatory articles against him, while the publisher published a book—written by two of the journalists being sued—that alleges that “Trump received money from his father through fraudulent tax evasion schemes.”

The New York Times and the publisher denied defamation of the president in two letters included in the lawsuit.

The president previously sued The New York Times over articles about his finances and taxes that the newspaper published in 2018, based in part on confidential documents. However, the judge denied his request and ordered Trump to pay the newspaper and three of its reporters $400,000 for legal fees.