Press freedom threatened by proposed phone tap amendment

Organisation: Reporters Without Borders condemns a proposed criminal law amendment before parliament that would ban the media from publishing the contents of police telephone taps or any

information about the tapping of phones by the police. The proposed amendment provides for sentences of one to five years in prison and fines up to 5 million crowns (182,000 euros) for

violators. “In its current form, this bill would seriously undermine the right to inform and be informed, as well as the constitutionally-guaranteed right to disseminate news and

information,” Reporters Without Borders said. “It would reduce sources of information and pose a serious obstacle to investigative journalism. The European Union must be beyond reproach, and

indeed should set an example, in its reforms of laws affecting the media. It should above all ensure that the laws it drafts increase individual freedom rather than restricting the areas of

investigation. The press freedom organisation added: “If amendments have to be made to legislation affecting the media, they must respect the European Union’s democratic standards and

should be preceded by dialogue with those concerned. With just a few months to go to European elections, we call on the Czech government, which currently holds the EU rotating presidency, to

announce the withdrawal of this amendment.” The proposed amendment was passed by the national assembly on first reading on 31 November and is due to go before the senate in February. The

editors of leading national media* have meanwhile sent an open letter to the senate speaker and deputy speaker and the chair of the parliamentary media commission expressing their opposition

to the bill. *The letter’s signatories : Robert Casensky (_MF DNES_), Veselin Vackov (_Lidove noviny_), Petr Simunek (_Hospodarske noviny_), Zdenek Prybny (_Pravo_), Martin Ondracek (news

service _TV Nova_), Pavel Safr (_Reflex_), Istvan Leko (_Euro_), Martin M. Simecka (_Respekt_) Published on 28.01.2009 Updated on 20.01.2016