IFJ calls for decriminalisation of all Press offences
Bahrain’s parliament should move forward towards amending a press draft law to ensure the decriminalisation of all press offences and the establishment of an effective self-regulatory body, an international watchdog has said.
The Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said that it was backing demands by its affiliate, the Bahrain Journalists Association (BJA), to address concerns the draft may allow for journalists to be charged under the terrorism law.
“Press freedom in Bahrain will be meaningless if journalists can still be sent to prison for their work,” Jim Boumelha, IFJ President, said. “The king has already endorsed calls for abolishing the imprisonment of journalists and it is time for the parliament to follow suit,” he said in a statement.
According to Boumelha, “journalism and press freedom are the cornerstone of democracy.”
“Neither members of the parliament nor the broader public can make informed decisions without accurate information provided to them by the media”, he said.
Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, called for consultations with the Bahrain media community over the press law and proposals for self-regulation.
The discussion of the draft law at the parliament initially scheduled for last Tuesday has been postponed until next week. The parliament said that its hectic schedule had forced the postponement.
Journalists have been lobbying, mainly among conservative lawmakers in the 40-seat lower chamber, to amend the draft law suggested by a parliamentary committee to ensure there is no link between journalism and public punitive laws.
However, several MPs, wary of the media crossing what they perceive as red lines, said that they would push for holding journalists accountable to the law.
“There is no reason why we should extend special privileges to journalists. They have to come under the law when they unfairly treat people or religion or incite to hatred,” they said. “Decriminalising all press offences amounts in fact to giving journalists full immunity and that is not acceptable.”
** The BJA will host a meeting with key media stakeholders and civil society representatives in March on the government’s proposals for self-regulation. The meeting is being convened by the Bahraini Ethical Journalism committee set up by the BJA and IFJ in 2009 to campaign for greater standards in journalism and develop proposals for affective media accountability systems.
