Protest March Against Criminalization of Defamation, Journalists Called on MPs Not to Vote for Changes to the Criminal Code

Banja Luka, July 18, 2023 – Media representatives, activists and citizens gathered this morning in protest at Trg Krajine and held a march to the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, where the MPs are today debating and voting on the introduction of defamation into the Criminal Code of the Republic of Srpska.

After several months of futile warnings and calls to protect freedom of speech and withdraw the scandalous provision that qualifies defamation as a criminal offense, the proposal for this law will still be presented to the MPs today.

Messages were sent from Trg Krajina stating that we are going back at least two decades through such repressive legal solutions. Journalists, activists and numerous other citizens called on the government representatives to think again, to come to their senses and abandon the criminalization of defamation.

President of Banjaluka Journalists’ Club Siniša Vukelic, who addressed the gathered citizens on behalf of the journalists, said that in the last two decades we were ahead of the region and even the EU when it comes to only one law.

“More than 20 years ago, we abolished the criminal offense of defamation and were the first in the region. Before Federation of BiH. We were proud of that. Now the government of the Republic of Srpska has decided to turn its back on the UN, the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the European Commission. The officials told the defenders of human rights and freedoms, journalist associations, citizens’ associations that they don’t care what we say and that they want to protect themselves from the truth. That”s why this is a question of freedom of each individual here ”, said Vukelić.

He warned that if this goes through, tomorrow we can expect them to take away our freedom of movement, freedom of education and all other rights we have under the Constitution of the Republic of Srpska. Statements by government representatives that journalists want freedom of defamation, and that EU countries also criminalize defamation, is a deliberate distortion of the truth.

“They deliberately distort the facts. Yes, defamation is in criminal law in some countries, but we must know that these are countries known for fair trials, judges and prosecutors, not controlled by politicians. They repeat that they reduced the sentences and that we should be satisfied with that, the problem was never in the punishment, but in the criminal process, which can last five years. You can receive dozens of such reports because they will not be paid for by officials and politicians, but by you, from the budget of Srpska. The whole system, the police and the prosecutor’s office will be harnessed at your expense to prove that you defamed a neighbor or an official ”, said Vukelić.

He pointed out that today’s struggle of citizens is directed against the “weapon” that the government is using, justifying it by the introduction of order, stressing that defamation is properly sanctioned by the Law on Protection against Defamation.

“We call on the MPs not to raise their hands for this law and to be remembered as someone who subordinated obedience to the interests of the people,” said Vukelic.

Numerous journalists, activists and citizens, after the walk, remained in front of the National Assembly of the RS with banners and the sound of whistles.

Press rls_18.07.23_

Opinion is not a crime!

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