Appeals Commission of the Press Council calls on MPs to reject the Law on Public Order and Peace

The Appeals Commission of the Press Council in BiH, at its first session held in 2015, in addition to resolving 22 citizen complaints about inaccurate and unprofessional media reporting, also discussed the proposed Law on Public Order and Peace of the RS, finding it detrimental to freedom of speech in Bosnia and Herzegovina, reports the Patria news agency.

The Appeals Commission of the Press Council appeals to the deputies in the National Assembly of the RS to reject the proposed Law on Public Order and Peace of the RS, because it restricts fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Constitution of the RS and the Constitution of BiH, as well as other international human rights conventions ratified by BiH.

The proposed Law on Public Order and Peace of the RS restricts freedom of speech and expression by treating freedom of expression as a misdemeanor offense.

Furthermore, the proposed Law restricts freedom of assembly, an essential achievement of a democratic society and a pluralistic community.

The adoption of such a law would lead Bosnian-Herzegovinian society down an authoritarian path and completely halt the processes of democratic consolidation in BiH.