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Federal Judges Grant Amparos Finding Puebla’s ‘Ciberasedio’ Offense Unconstitutional

The rulings fault the statute’s vagueness for chilling online speech.

Overview

  • At least one federal court in Puebla granted amparo 828/2025, declaring Article 480 unconstitutional for the petitioner and barring its application in that case.
  • The judgment says the provision’s broad and ambiguous wording enables discretionary enforcement, functions as state censorship, and creates a “zone of risk” that drives self‑censorship.
  • Article 480 defined “ciberasedio” as using digital tools like social networks or email to insult or offend with the intent to cause harm, a description the court found insufficiently precise.
  • Propuesta Cívica and the National Council for Strategic Litigation brought these challenges on behalf of journalists, defenders and communicators, presenting this as the first of six cases they filed.
  • While the protection directly covers only the petitioners, the reasoning is a persuasive precedent that could guide future rulings and adds pressure on Puebla’s Congress to revise the statute.