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Povodom aktivnosti u zakonodavnim organima Republike Srpske, kojima se nastoje uvesti nova krivična djela protiv časti i ugleda, odnosno krivično djelo uvrede i klevete, P.E.N. Centar u BiH poziva cjelokupnu javnost u Bosni i Hercegovini, kao i sve druge zainteresovane strane i institucije, uključujući i institucije međunarodne zajednice, da se ovakve aktivnosti zaustave i da se pitanja kriminalizacije uvrede i klevete podvrgnu širokoj stručnoj i javnoj raspravi. Predviđene rigorozne novčane kazne od 5 do 100 hiljada KM su jasan pokazatelj da se i bez zatvorskih kazni može dokinuti slobodno novinarstvo i sloboda govora, te dodatno ojačati, i onako, već uspostavljena samocenzura kod značajnog broja novinara, ali i dobrog dijela javnosti.
Instrumenti za zaštitu ljudskih prava, kao što su Univerzalna deklaracija o ljudskim pravima, Međunarodni pakt o građanskim i političkim pravima i Konvencija za zaštitu ljudskih prava i osnovnih sloboda (Evropska konvencija) propisuju da svako ima pravo na slobodu izražavanja. Vrlo smo dobro svjesni da postoje ograničenja u ovom pravu ali da ona moraju biti strogo utvrđena zakonom. Pod uslovom da se radi o zemlji u kojoj postoji efikasan sistem vladavine prava i zakona.
Bosna i Hercegovina, to je sad već notorna činjenica, sve je osim političkog sistema sa razvijenom parlamentarnom demokratijom i sistemom koji osigurava bezuslovnu primjenu načela vladavine prava. O tome svjedoče i brojni domaći i međunarodni izvještaji i analize o stanju pravosuđa, kome je odavno uskraćeno povjerenje javnosti i unutar kojeg su rasprostranjeni korupcija, nepotizam, politički intervencionizam, kao i netransparentnost i neefikasnost u radu.
Naime, s obzirom na političku situaciju u Bosni i Hercegovini, sa izuzetno izraženim principima partitokratije, autokratije i političkog elitizma i klijentelizma, sa nedopustivo niskim stepenom demokratizacije i nivoom poštivanja principa vladavine prava i načela parlamentarnog odlučivanja u demokratskim institucijama, mi, članovi PEN Centra u BiH, duboko smo uvjereni da ovakva zakonska rješenja mogu biti samo na štetu prava na slobodu izražavanja, te naročito kao sredstvo pritiska i zastrašivanja na rad nezavisnih i slobodnih novinara i medija. Samim tim, i uvod u potpuni mrak koji prijeti da prekrije ovu zemlju.
Stoga pozivamo sve relevantne domaće i inostrane faktore, i međunarodnu zajednicu, ali prije svega, cjelokupnu javnost u Bosni i Hercegovini, da odlučno i snažno djeluje na sve moguće demokratske i dozvoljene načine – od javnih protesta, građanskog neposluha, institucionalnih procedura u i pred domaćim i međunarodnim institucijama i/ili asocijacijama, pa do pojedinačnog djelovanja svakog odgovornog i svjesnog građanina ove zemlje koji sutra lako može doći pod udar ovakvih opasnih zakona za vlastito mišljenje i izgovorenu riječ.
Mi članovi PEN Centra u BIH, kao dijela velike porodice Međunarodnog PEN Centra, potpisali smo povelju kojom se smo se obavezali i na sljedeće:
PEN se zalaže za nesmetano prenošenje misli unutar svakog naroda i među svim narodima i njegovi se članovi obavezuju da će se suprotstaviti bilo kojem obliku gušenja slobode izražavanja u zemlji i lokalnoj zajednici kojoj pripadaju, kao i bilo gdje na svijetu gdje god je to moguće. PEN se izjašnjava za slobodu štampe i suprotstavlja se proizvoljnoj cenzuri u vrijeme mira. PEN vjeruje da nužni svjetski napredak prema višem redu političkog i ekonomskog sistema čini slobodnu kritiku vlada, uprava i drugih institucija neophodnom. A pošto sloboda podrazumijeva dobrovoljno samosavladavanje, članovi se obavezuju da će se suprotstaviti zloupotrebama slobode štampe kao što su lažno objavljivanje, namjerne laži i izvrtanje činjenica zbog političkih i ličnih ciljeva.
Stoga, ovaj put moramo stajati odlučno i ispravno, te svojim primjerom biti na čelu angažmana protiv svih oblika ograničavanja, ukidanja i gušenja prava slobode govora.
Bosna i Hercegovina, sa svojom deklarisanom budućnošću unutar evropske porodice država, mora i praktično i doslovno pokazati i dokazati da tamo pripada. Onemogućavanje uvođenja ovakvih opasnih zakonskih propisa biće prvi dokaz da imamo budućnost kao država.
PEN Centar u BiH
STATEMENT OF THE PEN CENTRE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA ON THE CRIMINALIZATION OF DEFAMATION IN THE ENTITY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
Due to the activities of the legislative bodies of the Republic of Srpska, which seek to introduce new criminal offenses against honor and reputation, i.e. the criminal offense of insult and defamation, the PEN Center in BiH invites the entire public in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as all other interested parties and institutions, including institutions of the international community, to stop such activities and to subject the issues of criminalization of insults and defamation to a wide professional and public discussion. The foreseen rigorous fines of 5 to 100 thousand KM are a clear indication that even without prison sentences, free journalism and freedom of speech can be stopped, and the already established self-censorship of a significant number of journalists, as well as a good part of the public, can be further strengthened.
Instruments for Human rights protection such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention) stipulate that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. We are very well aware that there are limitations to this right, but they must be strictly defined by law. Provided that it is a country in which an effective system of rule of law and law exists.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is already a notorious fact, is anything but a political system with a developed parliamentary democracy and a system that ensures the unconditional implementation of the rule of law. This is evidenced by numerous domestic and international reports and analyzes of the state of the judiciary, which has long been deprived of public trust and within which corruption, nepotism, political interventionism, as well as non-transparency and inefficiency in work are widespread.
Considering the political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with extremely expressed principles of partitocracy, autocracy and political elitism and clientelism, with an unacceptably low degree of democratization and the level of respect for the principles of the rule of law and the principles of parliamentary decision-making in democratic institutions, we, the members of the PEN Center in BiH, are deeply convinced that such legal solutions can only be to the detriment of the right to freedom of expression, and especially as a tool of intimidation and pressure on the work of independent and free journalists and media. Thus, the prelude to the complete darkness that threatens to cover this land.
Therefore, we call on all relevant domestic and foreign factors, and the international community, but above all, the entire public in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to act decisively and strongly in all possible democratic and permitted ways – from public protests, civil disobedience, institutional procedures and in and before domestic and international institutions and/or associations, up to the individual actions of every responsible and aware citizen of this country who tomorrow can easily come under the influence of such dangerous laws because of their own opinion and spoken word.
We, the members of the PEN Center in BIH, as part of the big family of Pen International, signed a Charter in which we committed ourselves to the following:
PEN stands for the principle of unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations, and members pledge themselves to oppose any form of suppression of freedom of expression in the country and community to which they belong as well as throughout the world whenever this is possible. PEN declares for a free press and opposes arbitrary censorship in times of peace. It believes that the necessary advance of the world towards a more highly organised political and economic order renders a free criticism of governments, administrations, and institutions imperative. And since freedom implies voluntary restraint, members pledge themselves to oppose such abuses of press freedom such as false publication, deliberate falsehood, and distortions of fact for political and personal ends.
Therefore, this time we must stand resolutely and correctly, and be at the forefront of engagement against all forms of restriction, abolition and suppression of the right to freedom of speech.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, with its declared future within the European family of states, must both practically and literally show and prove that it belongs there. Preventing the introduction of such dangerous legislation will be the first proof that we have a future as a country.
PEN Centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina
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