Lithuanian Seimas Speaker Victoria Cmilyte-Nielsen has proposed introducing fines for those who insult journalists. She has prepared amendments to the Code of Administrative Offenses and submitted them to the Seimas Secretariat, she writes about this lrt.lt.
If these changes are approved, journalists could be subject to fines ranging from 50 to 300 euros for insult. Insult can be made verbally or in writing, or expressed through gestures, provocative actions or other means.
According to the speaker, professional organizations representing the interests of journalists frequently raise the issue that journalists face insults and humiliations during the lawful collection of information, which prevents them from performing their duties.
“This is especially true during periods of difficult socio-economic or political events, when journalists are subjected to insults and threats, which hinder their work, while covering important events and collecting information through legal means,” the project’s explanatory note says.
Currently, the Code of Administrative Offenses does not include liability for the crime of insulting journalists. At the same time, insulting civil servants and officials is also punishable by law.
Previously Mizulina denied Accept Lebedev’s apology for the insults.
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Source: Gazeta
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