ENPA press release on Czech - Italian letter to Swedish Presidency
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BRUSSELS – ENPA – the European Newspaper Publishers’ Association has called on Swedish Minister for Culture Ms Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth for her and her colleagues support for press freedom in Europe. Liljeroth, at the helm of the current Swedish Presidency of the EU’s Culture Council, has been asked by ENPA to support the press in light of recent attempts by national authorities in Czech Republic and Italy to prevent media access to certain wiretapping data in the public interest.
ENPA is concerned that the laws could inspire other governments in Europe and declared the restrictions which are either recently introduced or under debate in Czech Republic and Italy on media access to such information as severe attacks on press freedom “which could have grave consequences for journalism and in particular investigative journalism.” The letter, signed by ENPA President Valdo Lehari Jr. and the two presidents of the Czech and Italian publishers’ associations, calls on the Swedish Presidency to consider three action points.
These three action points include:
(1) Asking the Council led by the Swedish Presidency to consider condemning the practice of jailing and fining journalists for the use of wiretapping information by for example, adopting a Presidency statement on press freedom;
(2) The Presidency is invited to hold a discussion on the implications for press freedom as a result of such bans during relevant Council sessions under the Swedish Presidency;
(3) Demanding explanation from the Czech and Italian governments why they have sought to contravene basic principles of press freedom and freedom of expression in Europe by preventing media access to information in the public interest.
The risk for publishers and journalists in Italy for publishing wiretapping information related to criminal investigations could amount to a fine of up to EURO 5000 or imprisonment up to 30 days and is currently being debated in the Italian Senate. It has already met with strong opposition from national media representatives.
The law banning media access to police wiretapping information has already entered into force on 1st April this year in the Czech Republic, but it is to be challenged in the Czech Constitutional Court. It imposes a very heavy penalty on the offending journalist and his publisher –
up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a 5 million Czech Crowns (around EURO 180 000) fine. Czech media have united to oppose this law.
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More information can be found on the media’s campaign against the Czech law specifically at
www.prisonforjournalists.com. ENPA also already expressed its outrage at the Czech law upon its adoption in February 2009.
For a copy of the letter to the Minister, you may contact the ENPA Secretariat at:
caroline.quintero@enpa.be or tel: +32.2.551.01.90For more information on this matter, please contact Mr. Valtteri Niiranen, ENPA Executive Director.
valtteri.niiranen@enpa.be