17. 12. 2012

PRICELIST FOR LIES

Belgrade, December 17, 2012 (Vecernje novosti) - Each year, around 200 people in Serbia are being charged for defamation, which is to be eradicated by new amendments to the Criminal Code.

Public figures, politicians, officials or even neighbors, would soon not be able to file charges against journalists for defamation, as this criminal offense will be deleted from the Criminal Code. The Parliament is considering amendments to the Criminal Code, and it is expected that the new law will get the support from the members of the parliament before the beginning of 2013.

Although the working group for amending Criminal Code was weighing the option whether to keep the defamation as a criminal offense in the Code or level it to the misdemeanor, it was decided in the end to delete it completely from the legislation, in order to allow for improvement of freedom of expression.

The Ministry of Justice said that decriminalization of defamation would support, before all, the improvement of investigative journalism in Serbia, as was the case in Montenegro, Macedonia, Moldova, Georgia, UK, Ireland, Cyprus...

According to spokesperson of the First Basic Court in Belgrade Ivana Ramic, defamation is a criminal offense punishable with the fine between 20.000 and 200.000 RSD. If the person is being slandered in media or at the public event, the prescribed fines range from 30 to 300 thousand dinars.