The Work on the Draft Law on Press Has Passed into Close Regime :: Charter'97 :: News

Belarusian officials are recently bringing up the topic of necessity of creating new version of the “Law on Press”, and also introduction of the norms, regulating activity of the Internet editions. The Minister Mr. Uladzimir Rusakevich told about plans to introduce changes into the Law, which are going to regulate journalist work in the Internet. And according to the Head of Parliamentary Commission on human rights, national relations and mass media Mr. Yury Kulakouski, the necessity in new statutory act has matured.

The Vice-Chairman of the Belarusian Association of Journalists, the lawyer Mr. Andrei Bastunets commented upon this information and expressed his point of view.

“It follows from official expressions that the Internet was overlooked from the legal regulations sphere. Though it is not so in truth. Norms of the Belarusian legislation – criminal, civil and administrative, – also include those, who are working in the Global net”, – commented Mr. Andrei Bastunets.

The adoption of the “specialized” act or including articles, concerning the Internet, is an attempt to solve global problem on a local level, what is hardly possible. There is a wish to take the net over the control behind the talks about the Internet regulation, – considers Mr. A. Bastunets: “Though people, who are fond of that idea, sometimes do not clearly understand, what they really want to “settle”.

The BAJ Vice-Chairman agrees that existing Law on press is out of date, some norms of the law contradict the Civil code and others are formulated inexpressively and allow different explanations.

Though, as Mr. Andrei Bastunets notes, if at first creation of the new draft law was held publicly indeed: the draft version was available for public discussion, and the Ministry of Information had even sent to interested organizations (including the BAJ) the proposal to express their comments and proposals. Now the draft law is being developed almost secretly:

– The work on the new draft law about mass media is continuing since 2001. The former Minister of Information Mr. Michail Padgajny promised within the walls of the Council of Europe to offer the draft law for the expertise of European structures. But after that the work turned into a close regime. There was one answer to all appeals of the BAJ to introduce the draft law: after he will be tabled to the House of Representatives.

– Needless to say that after that possibilities to influence upon the content of the law will be minimal, – emphasizes Mr. A. Bastunets.

According to Mr. A. Bastunets, the delay is connected with two circumstances: “From one side, it was managed to draw attention of international structures to the draft law. The Council of Europe is attentively following the situation development and is constantly reminding the official Minsk about the promise to introduce the conception of the law for international expertise. From the other side, Belarusian authorities has learned to use contradictions and archaic norms of the Law currently in force according to their opinion, – mentions the BAJ Vice-Chairman. – It is not accidental that recently proposals not adopt new version, but to develop existing.”