The Human Rights Defender
discussed with the media specialists the draft laws envisaging a ban on citing
of anonymous sources. They cannot be adopted in their current form.
If the draft laws are adopted
in their current version, the issue of combating false or inaccurate
information will not be solved.
On the contrary, the draft
laws contain non-systemic solutions that may pose additional problems to the
media sector, and in general, to the protection of freedom of speech in a
systemic way.
The justification of the
draft laws is incomplete. It does not reflect the strategy of solving real
problems, the solutions proposed by the draft laws are not presented from the
point of view of international experience and standards, the practical problems
are not discussed and, specifically, the reason why the proposed model is
chosen and how it will solve the existing problems.
The draft laws were not
properly discussed with specialists, and they were not sent to the Human Rights
Defender for an opinion.
The fines proposed in the
Code on Administrative Offences are disproportionate, they do not envisage a
possibility of an individual approach, and fixed amounts of fines, which may
lead to disproportionate interference with the activities of a journalist, are
provided.
The participants of the
discussion unanimously concluded that the disputed regulations of the draft
laws should be taken out of circulation due to their inadmissibility.
According to the results of
the discussion held at the Human Rights Defender’s Office, the Defender will
summarize his official opinion, taking into consideration the results of the
discussion, and will present it to the National Assembly.
The details can be found in
this link (10 pages), with relevant justifications.
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