Ángel Martínez sentenced to one year suspended prison term for defaming Faride Raful

Santo Domingo.- A court in the Dominican Republic sentenced communicator Ángel Martínez to one year of suspended imprisonment and ordered him to pay RD$2 million in compensation to Interior and Police Minister Faride Raful after he pleaded guilty to defamation and insult against the official.

Judge Clara Luz Almonte of the Second Criminal Chamber of the National District accepted an abbreviated criminal procedure agreed upon by the Public Ministry and Martínez’s defense. During the hearing, Martínez admitted responsibility for the acts, apologized to Raful and agreed not to make further statements about her.

As conditions for the suspended sentence, Martínez was ordered to refrain from communicating, publishing or mentioning Raful through social media, traditional media or other channels. He must also remain at his registered address and appear periodically before the judge responsible for monitoring the sentence. Failure to comply could result in the one-year prison term being enforced.

The case was prosecuted under Law 53-07 on High-Tech Crimes and Offenses. The court also recognized Raful as a civil plaintiff and established the RD$2 million compensation in accordance with the agreement reached by the parties.

The ruling followed a complaint filed by Raful over statements Martínez had disseminated through digital platforms. The case had been scheduled for trial before the parties pursued an abbreviated procedure.