(CNN) -- The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on Monday castigated Venezuela for its recent record on freedom of expression in a letter sent to the country's foreign minister.
At issue were three cases, including the conviction last week and sentencing of journalist Francisco "Pancho" Perez to nearly four years in prison and a fine of more than $18,000 for defamation of public officials.
The charges were brought over a 2009 newspaper column published in the city of Carabobo that shed light on many of the mayor's family members who were hired as contractors by the local government.
"The evident disproportion of the sentence handed down for the publication of a piece that was clearly in the public interest demonstrates the serious state of vulnerability in which freedom of expression in Venezuela finds itself," the commission said in a statement.
The letter, sent to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, also highlighted the ongoing legal actions against Guillermo Zuloaga, one of the owners of the Globovision network, the country's sole remaining opposition broadcaster.
An arrest warrant was issued last week for Zuloaga and his son for the crimes of usury -- or charging exorbitant interest rates -- and conspiracy for having stored 24 vehicles on their private property. The charges are not related directly to Zuloaga's work at Globovision, but he and his network have been consistently facing legal challenges and accusations from the government.
