(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a 12 June 1999 WAN press release: Zürich, Switzerland, 12 June 1999 For immediate release Czech Press Bill Condemned by World Association of Newspapers The World Association of Newspapers has condemned a proposed Czech press law as “an attack on freedom of the press” and called on President Vaclav Havel […]
(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a 12 June 1999 WAN press release:
Zürich, Switzerland, 12 June 1999
For immediate release
Czech Press Bill Condemned by World Association of Newspapers
The World Association of Newspapers has condemned a proposed Czech press law
as “an attack on freedom of the press” and called on President Vaclav Havel
and leaders of the House and Senate to reject the proposals.
“The Press Bill before the parliament of the Czech Republic undermines the
citizen’s right to inform and be informed, and contravenes accepted
standards of press freedom in Europe,” said a resolution passed on Saturday
by the WAN Board, meeting in Zürich, Switzerland, during the organization’s
52nd World Newspaper Congress.
“Among the provisions which WAN finds unacceptable is the granting of a
right to reply to anyone whose ‘honour, dignity or privacy’ has been
infringed, even if the original report is true,” said WAN. “Such a provision
is wholly out of keeping with the guarantees of free expression and fair
comment associated with European democracies.”
The Paris-based WAN, whose annual meetings drew more than 1,100 publishers
and editors from 88 countries to Zürich, also condemned provisions which
would withdraw the right to protect sources in some cases and would provide
far-reaching rights to force newspapers to publish corrections and
additional reports.
“Furthermore, WAN deplores provisions which would impose fines on publishers
found to have contravened the press law, and even provide for suspension of
offending newspapers for up to one year. Such sanctions are a clear
violation of the fundamental rights of press freedom,” said the resolution.
WAN called on President Vaclav Havel and leaders in the House and Senate to
reject the proposals and said it would bring the matter to the attention of
the European Commission and the Council of Europe.
WAN, the global organization for the newspaper industry, defends and
promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 15,000 newspapers; its
membership includes 62 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper
executives in 93 countries, 17 news agencies and seven regional press
groups.
