NSRS today on criminalization of defamation: New mechanism for Milorad Dodik's protection

(Patria) - Deputies of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska should today consider the Bill on Amendments to the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska, according to which defamation would be treated as a criminal offense.

The Minister of Justice of Republika Srpska, Miloš Bukejlović, stated earlier that the criminal offense of insult has been removed from the Bill on Amendments to the Criminal Code compared to the Draft, and the penalties for defamation have also been reduced.

Bukejlović clarified that insult remains in the domain of misdemeanor law, i.e., in the formulation that is already in the existing legal solution.

The Steering Board of the BH Journalists Association/Union yesterday called on the NSRS deputies to reject the Government's proposal on the criminalization of defamation.

As stated by the Steering Board of BH Journalists, this would stop the years-long destruction of media freedoms in Republika Srpska and the violation of the right to freedom of expression and information of journalists, civil society activists, and every citizen who dares to criticize or question the legality of the actions and decisions of the ruling coalition led by SNSD.

"By rejecting the Bill on Amendments to the Criminal Code of Republika Srpska, the national deputies have the opportunity to show the citizens of RS that they do not want to abuse the highest legislative body in Republika Srpska for the interests of only one political party and/or a few people from the closest leadership of SNSD – led by Milorad Dodik, and that they do not intend to bear the consequences of eventual, institutional torture of the media and journalists that the criminalization of defamation can bring," they emphasized.

The session is scheduled for 10:00 AM.