Philippine Nobel laureate Maria Ressa and her news site Rappler have been acquitted by a court of tax evasion charges in a ruling that media watchdogs and human rights groups described as a win for press freedom and rule of law.
Ressa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside a Russian journalist in 2021, is head of Rappler, which earned a reputation for its in-depth reporting and tough scrutiny of former president Rodrigo Duterte and his deadly war on drugs.