Buenos Aires, Jan 25 (IANS/EFE) Damian Pachter, the journalist of the daily Buenos Aires Herald, who announced on his Twitter account the death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, left Argentina in fear after finding that he was being followed, the Argentine Journalism Forum (Fopea) said.
“Fopea reports that journalist Damian Pacter left the country because he feared for his safety,” the journalism forum said on Twitter.
“Pachter told Fopea Friday that he was being followed and thought he had better leave the country,” it said.
Pachter set off alarms Jan 18 with a scoop on social networks that there was an incident in the prosecutor Nisman’s home. Following it, a detachment of security forces was sent there.
“They found prosecutor Alberto Nisman in the bathroom of his home in Puerto Madero lying in a pool of blood. He was not breathing. Doctors are there,” Pachter tweeted at midnight Jan 18, three hours before the prosecutor’s death was officially confirmed.
“I’m leaving because my life is in danger,” the journalist said on the Infobae website, minutes before leaving the country Saturday.
“Since all this began, someone who has been a close, trustworthy source for years and who knows how to move in the world of intelligence, has been sending me hints,” he said.
“I don’t know when they started following me,” Pachter said on Infobae adding that from a tweet he received from within the government, “today it was all confirmed. ‘Leave because they’re looking for you’.”
“I never imagined that after that tweet, in five days I’d have to leave the country…,” the journalist said.
“I don’t believe this solves Nisman’s death. Power covers its tracks,” he added.
–IANS/EFE
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