Latest amendments to Slovakia's draft Press Act an improvement but still fall short, says OSCE media freedom representative
VIENNA, 25 March 2008 - Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, welcomed today the Slovak Government's acceptance of one of his key proposals for the country's draft Press Act, but regretted that other recommendations have not been implemented.
"It is an improvement that the amendment deletes Chapter 6.1. on content restrictions. I had proposed its removal because it would have entitled government officials to judge and punish media content, a role which in a democracy should be confined to the judiciary," he said.
"However, it is disappointing that recommendations regarding the right of reply were not implemented. As it stands now, the law would still fail to comply with Slovakia's OSCE commitments to protect media freedom," Haraszti added.
The Representative's comments concerned the amendments authored by a member of the Slovak Parliament on behalf of the governing coalition. The amendments were presented on 18 March, ahead of the second reading of the Act.
"The excessive remedial obligations prescribed in Sections 7, 8, and 9 would grant politicians limitless access to publicity over the heads of editors. They would seriously restrict editorial autonomy and go against the Council of Europe's legal requirements," said Haraszti.
"The standards are clear: a right to either a correction or a reply should qualify only where the claimant has a justified interest in correcting untrue or misleading information."
"With the help of Slovakia's parliamentarians the draft can still be improved," Haraszti said. He added that his Office stood ready to assist the Government and the Parliamentary Committees during the second or third reading of the draft Act.
The legal review, commissioned by RFOM and prepared by international freedom of expression organization Article 19 in February 2008, can be accessed in Slovak at //www.osce.org/documents/rfm/2008/02/29687_sl.pdf , and in English at //www.osce.org/documents/rfm/2008/02/29687_en.pdf.