prijava
SARAJEVO, March 23 (FENA) - The National Assembly of the entity of Republika Srpska adopted today the Draft Law on amendments to the Criminal Code criminalizing defamation, which, as stated by the Press and Online Media Council in BiH, directly violates the basic principles of freedom of expression.
The Steering Committee of the Press and Online Media Council in Bosnia and Herzegovina warns the authorities that the proposed changes to the law are very harmful to media freedom, and reminds that freedom of expression is a fundamental right. It is also found in the key priority (number 12) from the Opinion of the European Commission on BiH's application for EU membership.
According to the Press Council, Bosnia and Herzegovina should take concrete steps to guarantee freedom of expression and protect journalists, not a step backward.
In the changes, the term "public interest" is completely omitted, which is the basic term of ethical journalistic standards and is contained in the Codex for printed and online media of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
(FENA) S. R.
