Σας αποστέλλουμε τρία δελτία τύπου για τις “τροπολογίες Γιαννόπουλου,” ένα των οργανώσεών μας, ένα του Διεθνούς Ινστιτούτου Τύπου και ένα της Διεθνούς Ομοσπονδίας Ελσίνκι, που συνεργάζονται με τις οργανώσεις μας.
ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟ ΠΑΡΑΤΗΡΗΤΗΡΙΟ ΤΩΝ ΣΥΜΦΩΝΙΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΣΙΝΚΙ
& ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗ ΟΜΑΔΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΔΙΚΑΙΩΜΑΤΑ ΤΩΝ ΜΕΙΟΝΟΤΗΤΩΝ
Τ.Θ. 51393, 14510 Κηφισιά, Tηλ. 620.01.20; Fax: 807.57.67;
e-mail: office@greekhelsinki.gr ιστοσελίδα: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr/
ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΥΠΟΥ
24/8/1998
ΘΕΜΑ: ΠΡΟΤΕΙΝΟΜΕΝΕΣ ΤΡΟΠΟΛΟΓΙΕΣ
ΠΑΡΑΒΙΑΖΟΥΝ ΤΗΝ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΦΡΑΣΗΣ
Οι συνεργαζόμενες οργανώσεις Ελληνικό Παρατηρητήριο των Συμφωνιών του Ελσίνκι & Ελληνική Ομάδα για τα Δικαιώματα των Μειονοτήτων καταδικάζουν έντονα την πρόθεση της Κυβέρνησης να εισάγει τροπολογίες που θα περιορίσουν δραστικά την ελευθερία της έκφρασης στα Ηλεκτρονικά Μέσα Ενημέρωσης.
Στις 18 Αυγούστου 1998, ο υπουργός Δικαιοσύνης, Ευάγγελος Γιαννόπουλος, ανακοίνωσε την πρόθεσή του να συμπεριλάβει μια επιπλέον παράγραφο στα άρθρα 361 (περί εξύβρισης) και 362 (περί δυσφήμησης) του Ποινικού Κώδικα, ως εξής:
«Παρουσιαστής ή εκφωνητής τηλεοπτικού ή ραδιοφωνικού σταθμού ο οποίος παρουσιάζει, εκφωνεί ή επιτρέπει την εκφώνηση μηνυμάτων υβριστικού ή συκοφαντικού περιεχομένου, τιμωρείται με φυλάκιση τουλάχιστον δύο ετών. Ο προϊστάμενος διευθυντής του υπαλλήλου, ο οποίος έδωσε εντολή για την παρουσίαση ή εκφώνηση του μηνύματος αυτού ή επέτρεψε την εκφώνησή του, τιμωρείται ως ηθικός αυτουργός ή απλός συνεργός κατά περίπτωση».
Συμπλήρωσε ότι η δίωξη τέτοιων υποθέσεων θα είναι αυτεπάγγελτη χωρίς να απαιτείται προηγούμενη έγκληση από τα θιγόμενα πρόσωπα. Επιπλέον, εξετάζει την επιβολή προστίμων μέχρι 5.000.000 δρχ. για τέτοια «εγκλήματα», καθώς και τον εξαναγκασμό των ηλεκτρονικών Μέσων να δίνουν στη δημοσιότητα τα πλήρη στοιχεία της ταυτότητας όσων ατόμων τα μηνύματα πρόκειται να μεταδοθούν.
Ο Ευ. Γιαννόπουλος ανακοίνωσε στη συνέχεια ότι θα υποβάλει έγκληση για συκοφαντική δυσφήμιση εναντίον της εφημερίδας «Ελεύθερος Τύπος» για το κύριο άρθρο στις 17 Αυγούστου 1998.
Υπήρξαν πολλές αρνητικές αντιδράσεις εναντίον των δηλώσεων του Ευ. Γιαννόπουλου, από κόμματα της αντιπολίτευσης, δημοσιογραφικές ενώσεις και σχεδόν το σύνολο των εφημερίδων, καθώς και εκκλήσεις προς τον Πρωθυπουργό να διαχωρίσει τη θέση της κυβέρνησης από την εν λόγω αντιδημοκρατική πρωτοβουλία. Ωστόσο, στις 24 Αυγούστου 1998, ο κυβερνητικός εκπρόσωπος δήλωσε ότι η κυβέρνηση εξετάζει την προτεινόμενη τροποποίηση.
Το Ελληνικό Παρατηρητήριο των Συμφωνιών του Ελσίνκι θεωρεί ότι οι προτεινόμενες τροποποιήσεις είναι εξαιρετικά αυταρχικές και συνιστούν παραβίαση του Άρθρου 19 της Οικουμενικής Διακήρυξης των Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων του ΟΗΕ, που εγγυάται την ελευθερία της γνώμης και της έκφρασης. Ήδη η Ελλάδα είναι η μόνη ευρωπαϊκή χώρα όπου, με βάση την ισχύουσα νομοθεσία, οι δημοσιογράφοι δύνανται να διωχθούν και να καταδικαστούν για συκοφαντία από ποινικά και όχι από αστικά δικαστήρια.
Επιπλέον, θεωρεί αδικαιολόγητη την πρόθεση του κ. Γιαννόπουλου να καταθέσει έγκληση εναντίον του «Ελεύθερου Τύπου», καθώς το υποτιθέμενο δυσφημιστικό κύριο άρθρο δεν υπερβαίνει αυτό που θεωρείται γενικώς αποδεκτή κριτική της κυβέρνησης, ειδικά με βάση τη νομολογία του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικαστηρίου Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΟ ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΟΥ ΔΙΕΘΝΟΥΣ ΙΝΣΤΙΤΟΥΤΟΥ ΤΥΠΟΥ
INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE (IPI), VIENNA
(DISTRIBUTED BY INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION EXCHANGE - IFEX)
24 August 1998
PROPOSED LEGISLATION WOULD MAKE BROADCASTING “SLANDEROUS AND INSULTING MATTER” A CRIME.
(IPI/IFEX) - IPI is most concerned about proposed legislation that would make broadcasting “slanderous and insulting matter” a criminal offence in Greece.
Under the legislation, proposed on 18 August 1998 by Justice Minister Evangelos Yannopoulos, existing slander and libel laws would be expanded to include a minimum two-year sentence for radio and television journalists, as well as news editors, who insult a politician or a member of the public through the broadcast media.
According to IPI, Parliament has yet to approve the proposal and no date for the vote has been set.
IPI maintains that journalists should be judged by civil libel laws and not by criminal
statutes. Legislation that makes libel, slander and defamation a criminal offence is unjustifiable in a democratic society and a violation of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of opinion and expression. General laws against libel, slander and defamation are sufficient protection against unjust attack. They should be civil - not criminal - in nature and should provide for demonstrable damages only.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΟ ΔΕΛΤΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΔΙΕΘΝΟΥΣ ΟΜΟΣΠΟΝΔΙΑΣ ΕΛΣΙΝΚΙ
GREEK GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS RETROGRADE AMENDMENTS THAT WILL VIOLATE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Vienna, 25 August 1998. The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), which includes 34 national Helsinki committees throughout Europe, the former Soviet Union and North America, joins the Federation’s Greek Helsinki Monitor in condemning proposed amendments to the Greek Penal Code that will severely limit freedom of speech in the electronic media.
According to the proposed amendments to articles 361 and 362, announced by Minister of Justice Evangelos Yannopoulos, television and radio broadcasters may be imprisoned for “at least two years” if they broadcast, read or allow the broadcasting of “messages with insulting or defamatory content…The supervising Director of the employee, who gave the order for the broadcasting or reading of that message or allowed its broadcasting is punished as instigating principal or secondary accessory depending on the case”.
The IHF has been informed by Greek Helsinki Monitor that the prosecution of such cases will be at the discretion of the public prosecutors without requiring prior complaint by the persons allegedly offended. Further, the Minister of Justice is considering introducing also fines up to 5,000,000 drs. ($17,000) for such “crimes;” and compelling the electronic media to broadcast full identity data of all individuals whose messages will be broadcasted. The Minister has announced that he will bring charges for aggravated defamation against the right wing newspaper “Eleftheros Typos” for an editorial of 17 August 1998.
The IHF is deeply disturbed by these proposals.
“If enacted into law, these proposals will violate Greece’s international human rights commitments as a member of the Council of Europe and as a signatory to the Helsinki documents. It is astonishing that a modern European country and EU member can seriously contemplate adopting laws that are so obviously at variance with European values and standards,” stated Aaron Rhodes, Executive Director of the IHF.
He said the IHF would raise the issue in the OSCE , and at the Review Meeting in November.
For more information:
Nafsika Papanikolatos & Panayote Elias Dimitras,
Greek Helsinki Monitor & Minority Rights Group - Greece
Tel. +30-1-620 01 20
Fax +30-1-807 57 67
Aaron Rhodes, IHF
Tel. +43-1-408 88 22
Fax +43-1-408 74 44
GREEK HELSINKI MONITOR
& MINORITY RIGHTS GROUP - GREECE
P.O. Box 51393, GR-14510 Kifisia, Greece tel. 30-1-620.01.20; Fax: 30-1-807.57.67;
E-mail: office@greekhelsinki.gr web site: http://www.greekhelsinki.gr
PRESS RELEASE
24/8/1998
SUBJECT: PROPOSED AMENDMENTS VIOLATE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
The cooperating organizations Greek Helsinki Monitor and Minority Rights Group - Greece express their strong condemnation of the government's intent to introduce amendments that will severely limit freedom of speech in the electronic media.
On 18 August 1998, Minister of Justice Evangelos Yannopoulos announced his intention to introduce an additional paragraph to articles 361 (on insult) and 362 (on defamation) of the Greek Penal Code, as follows:
"A newscaster or broadcaster of a television or radio station who broadcasts, reads or allows the broadcasting of messages with insulting or defamatory content is punishable with imprisonment of at least two years. The supervising Director of the employee, who gave the order for the broadcasting or reading of that message or allowed its broadcasting is punished as instigating principal or secondary accessory depending on the case"
He added that the prosecution of such cases will be at the discretion of the public prosecutors without requiring prior complaint by the persons allegedly offended. Moreover, he is considering introducing also fines up to 5,000,000 drs. ($17,000) for such "crimes;" and compelling the electronic media to broadcast full identity data of all individuals whose messages will be broadcasted.
E. Yannopoulos then announced that he will bring charges for aggravated defamation against the right wing newspaper "Eleftheros Typos" for an editorial of 17 August 1998.
There were many negative reactions against E. Yannopoulos' statements, by opposition parties, journalists' unions, and almost all newspapers, and appeals to the Prime Minister to dissociate the government from that undemocratic initiative. However, on 24 August 1998, the government spokesman declared that the proposed amendment is under consideration by the government.
Greek Helsinki Monitor considers the proposed amendments of an extreme authoritarian nature and a violation of Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, guaranteeing freedom of opinion and speech. Already, Greece is the only European country where, with the existing legislation, journalists can be and are prosecuted and convicted by criminal courts for libel, instead of referring these matters to civil courts.
Moreover, it considers Mr. Yannopoulos' intent to bring charges against "Eleftheros Typos" unwarranted as the allegedly slandering editorial does not go beyond what is generally considered acceptable criticism of the government, especially by the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.
INTERNATIONAL PRESS INSTITUTE (IPI), VIENNA
(DISTRIBUTED BY INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION EXCHANGE - IFEX)
24 August 1998
PROPOSED LEGISLATION WOULD MAKE BROADCASTING “SLANDEROUS AND INSULTING MATTER” A CRIME.
(IPI/IFEX) - IPI is most concerned about proposed legislation that would make broadcasting “slanderous and insulting matter” a criminal offence in Greece.
Under the legislation, proposed on 18 August 1998 by Justice Minister Evangelos Yannopoulos, existing slander and libel laws would be expanded to include a minimum two-year sentence for radio and television journalists, as well as news editors, who insult a politician or a member of the public through the broadcast media.
According to IPI, Parliament has yet to approve the proposal and no date for the vote has been set.
IPI maintains that journalists should be judged by civil libel laws and not by criminal
statutes. Legislation that makes libel, slander and defamation a criminal offence is unjustifiable in a democratic society and a violation of Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees the right to freedom of opinion and expression. General laws against libel, slander and defamation are sufficient protection against unjust attack. They should be civil - not criminal - in nature and should provide for demonstrable damages only.
GREEK GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS RETROGRADE AMENDMENTS THAT WILL VIOLATE FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Vienna, 25 August 1998. The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF), which includes 34 national Helsinki committees throughout Europe, the former Soviet Union and North America, joins the Federation’s Greek Helsinki Monitor in condemning proposed amendments to the Greek Penal Code that will severely limit freedom of speech in the electronic media.
According to the proposed amendments to articles 361 and 362, announced by Minister of Justice Evangelos Yannopoulos, television and radio broadcasters may be imprisoned for “at least two years” if they broadcast, read or allow the broadcasting of “messages with insulting or defamatory content…The supervising Director of the employee, who gave the order for the broadcasting or reading of that message or allowed its broadcasting is punished as instigating principal or secondary accessory depending on the case”.
The IHF has been informed by Greek Helsinki Monitor that the prosecution of such cases will be at the discretion of the public prosecutors without requiring prior complaint by the persons allegedly offended. Further, the Minister of Justice is considering introducing also fines up to 5,000,000 drs. ($17,000) for such “crimes;” and compelling the electronic media to broadcast full identity data of all individuals whose messages will be broadcasted. The Minister has announced that he will bring charges for aggravated defamation against the right wing newspaper “Eleftheros Typos” for an editorial of 17 August 1998.
The IHF is deeply disturbed by these proposals.
“If enacted into law, these proposals will violate Greece’s international human rights commitments as a member of the Council of Europe and as a signatory to the Helsinki documents. It is astonishing that a modern European country and EU member can seriously contemplate adopting laws that are so obviously at variance with European values and standards,” stated Aaron Rhodes, Executive Director of the IHF.
He said the IHF would raise the issue in the OSCE , and at the Review Meeting in November.
For more information:
Nafsika Papanikolatos & Panayote Elias Dimitras,
Greek Helsinki Monitor & Minority Rights Group - Greece
Tel. +30-1-620 01 20
Fax +30-1-807 57 67
Aaron Rhodes, IHF
Tel. +43-1-408 88 22
Fax +43-1-408 74 44
