On Wednesday the Mexican Superior Chamber of the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Power upheld the lower court’s ruling, fining Cortés 19,244 pesos (approximately $1,135) and “directing him to publish the court ruling and an apology drafted by the court on Twitter and Facebook daily for 30 days,” according to ADF International.
Cortés will be forced to attend a training session on “gender-based political violence”; he will also be listed on the country’s National Registry of Persons Sanctioned in Political Matters against Women.
Kristina Hjelkrem, legal counsel for ADF International, said in the press release that the ruling was “deeply disturbing.”
“Disagreement is not discrimination, and peaceful dissent should never be penalized as violence,” Hjelkrem said.
Cortés following the ruling called the high court’s decision “gravely disappointing.”
“I am committed to seeking justice and securing mine and every Mexican citizen’s right to freedom of speech,” he said. “No laws should be used to silence or punish individuals for sharing their convictions, especially on issues of great importance.”