OSCE media freedom representative urges Czech Parliament to use penal code reform to decriminalize speech offences

VIENNA, 22 April 2008 - Miklos Haraszti, OSCE's media freedom representative, urged members of the Czech Parliament to use the ongoing reform of the Criminal Code to decriminalize speech offences so that they would be exclusively handled in civil courts. 

"I encourage you as members of the Czech Parliament to take this unique opportunity to follow international standards in balancing personality rights with free speech rights, and decriminalize speech offences," said Haraszti in a letter to Czech parliamentarians.

"Not allowing any criminal defamation provision in a newly adopted criminal code of the 21st century is a matter of free speech, democracy, rule of law, and also practicality."

The Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights rules against imprisonment for press offences, regarding it as a disproportionate sanction that damages free discussion in society.

"In light of these clear norms, no European parliament should miss the opportunity to remove the old defamation regime, especially as it allows for convictions that are consistently overruled in the European Court of Human Rights," added Haraszti.