PRAGUE, Czech Republic—Senators in the upper house are collecting signatures to protect press freedom in the country. They plan to file a complaint with the Constitutional Court if president Klaus signs a bill passed in the lower house banning publishing of leaked police wiretaps.
An amendment of Penal Code would forbid media to make such recordings public, with consequences for journalists going from heavy fines to jail time.
The group of senators wants to ask the Constitutional Court to examine whether the bill infringes on freedom of speech or freedom of the press. The Czech Syndicate of Journalists already urged the president to not sign the amendment.
The ban was initiated by MP Marek Benda as a reaction to the extensive coverage of a case of child torture in Czech media. The initial intention to protect claimed media exploitation of abused children was extended to include a ban of making wiretaps public.
Publishing police wiretaps is a common method in Czech journalism, meant to uncover corruption or secret links between politicians and the criminal underworld.
An amendment of Penal Code would forbid media to make such recordings public, with consequences for journalists going from heavy fines to jail time.
The group of senators wants to ask the Constitutional Court to examine whether the bill infringes on freedom of speech or freedom of the press. The Czech Syndicate of Journalists already urged the president to not sign the amendment.
The ban was initiated by MP Marek Benda as a reaction to the extensive coverage of a case of child torture in Czech media. The initial intention to protect claimed media exploitation of abused children was extended to include a ban of making wiretaps public.
Publishing police wiretaps is a common method in Czech journalism, meant to uncover corruption or secret links between politicians and the criminal underworld.
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