Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, winner of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, was acquitted in a tax evasion trial that was being held in the Philippines and which she believed to be politically motivated due to her critical positions towards the government of Rodrigo Duterte, president until 2022. The charges related to the financing of the news site Rappler, of which she is co-founder. Ressa won the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.
Ressa had already been acquitted of four other similar charges in January. She still faces two other defamation suits against her and a colleague, Rey Santos Jr, which carry penalties of up to seven years in prison. Furthermore, Rappler is appealing a government order that requires the closure of the newspaper, because it is partly financed by an American fund.