19. 12. 2012

DS: JOURNALISTS AS OFFICIALS

Belgrade, December 19, 2012 (Beta, B92) - DS has submitted the amendment to Amendments to Criminal Code, requesting that journalists be given the status of official persons.

MP Vesna Marjanovic from Democratic Party (DS) told Beta news agency that the article of the Criminal Code, stipulating the threat to journalists as a criminal offense, was included in the legislation during the ruling of the former Government because of the fact that journalists too were performing one type of a public function, much like politicians.

"In this country, there is still a great number of unsolved murders of journalists and unresolved social and media situation, where there are extremist organizations operating and believing they have the right to publish on their websites the lists of unfitting media, unfitting journalists, unfitting public figures", said Marjanovic, who is also the president of the Parliament's Culture and Information Committee.

MP Vladimir Cvijan from SNS said that the parliamentary committees for legislation and judiciary would consider the issue of legal protection of journalists, if decided that journalists should be given the status of official persons.

According to him, the question here is whether giving the status of official persons only to journalists or only to judges is in line with the Constitution, because in that case the same status must be given to bus drivers, bus ticket controllers and lawyers.

Cvijan also said that all amendments would be carefully considered to establish the possibility to adequately provide legal protection to journalists and all other persons who are facing evident security problems in terms of threats.

The Media Coalition, composed of journalists' and media associations, announced proposing amendments to the parliamentary club of SPS in order to prevent deletion of the provision from the Criminal Code equaling attacks on journalists on assignment to attacks on officials.