The Foundation for Freedom of Expression (FLIP) considers that the law “promotes the use of criminal proceedings as a sanction for freedom of expression.”
The Colombian House of Representatives approved in a second debate an article of a new anti-corruption law that will amend the Penal Code to increase the penalties for libel and slander against public officials, which according to press associations opens the door to sanctions for journalistic work.
In total, 73 congressmen rejected late Monday with their vote a proposal that sought to eliminate article 68 of the anti-corruption bill, which contains increased penalties and modifies the Penal Code.
“Anyone who, through duly proven libel or slander, intends to attack or obstruct the constitutional and legal functions of a public official, denouncing false facts about him or his family, will incur in prison of sixty (60) to one hundred twenty (120) months”, Says the article of the future anti-corruption law, which continues its legislative process.
The Colombian Penal Code currently stipulates slander and libel in a general way and not only for public servants with prison terms of 16 to 72 months, after another 2004 amendment.
“In recent decades, a legal provision as regressive against the press as the one approved by the Chamber last night has not been approved,” said Jonathan Bock, director of the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP), on Monday. that “What 73 congressmen voted opens the door to sanctions and repression like the one that exists in Venezuela or Nicaragua”.
“It is censorship; A shame! ”Bock lamented. FLIP had already requested that this article be removed from the anti-corruption bill because “Violates the basic guarantees of freedom of expression by imposing disproportionate penal measures”.
This organization considers that the law “promotes the use of criminal proceedings as a sanction for freedom of expression,” with penalties of up to 10 years, thus discouraging journalists in their investigations of public officials who may be committing acts of violence. corruption.
Furthermore, the law creates “an extraordinary jurisdiction for the protection of public officials, which is contrary to the purpose of promoting transparency strategies ”, and which did not exist before.
“Freedom of expression cannot be undermined by the alleged violation of the morals of an official”, FLIP denounced in a statement.
Million-dollar fines, of up to 1,359 million pesos (about $ 345,000), are also imposed for those convicted of these new crimes.
The Inter-American Press Association (IAPA) had also warned last week of the danger posed by this bill and called for it to be eliminated because it represents a “danger similar to that promoted by the contempt laws that proliferated in Latin America in past decades.”
The president of the IAPA, Jorge Canahuati, said that the institution fought for many decades in Latin America to “eradicate the contempt laws or laws of insult that served governments to shield their authorities and officials from criticism and investigations by the press. ”. (I)
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