Ernestina Herrera de Noble, owner and CEO of Argentina’s leading media empire Grupo Clarin, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion that she adopted children taken from imprisoned dissidents during the “dirty war” of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

However, similar accusations had been raised and rejected by the courts in recent years. It turns out that all this is just another extorsive strategy used by the government to silence the media.

Clarin Group (who handles Clarin Newspaper, Channel 13, several radio stations, magazines, press agencies, ISPs and other mass media companies) has been constantly investigating and reporting about argentina’s corruption, specially during the Menem administration.

Argentina’s largest press advocacy group, ADEPA, expressed “grave concern” over the detention. Other press associations claimed that Herrera’s detention was “illegitimate and illegal”.

We want freedom of speech NOW! Free Ernestina Herrera de Noble!