Nobel laureate and journalist Maria Ressa acquitted by Philippine court

Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and her news site Rappler were acquitted by a court of tax evasion charges on Wednesday, a judge said, handing Ressa a victory in a case the veteran journalist has described as part of a pattern of harassment.

Ressa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside a Russian journalist in 2021, is the head of Rappler, which earned a reputation for its in-depth reporting and tough scrutiny of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

WATCH | Contemplating the very real possibility of going to jail:

Why Filipino journalist Maria Ressa is risking life in prison

Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa has spent her life exposing the truth in the Philippines, and now she could spend the rest of it in prison. She speaks to The National’s Adrienne Arsenault about why she’s risking it all to return home and warns that the world is “in the last two minutes of democracy.” [Note: This interview was conducted in Toronto on Oct. 21, 2022.]

This is a breaking news story. More to come.