27/07/2017
Media Law Experts: Electronic Crimes Law Contradicts with Basic Law and International Conventions
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Workshop convened on Thursday at the Syndicates Union discussed the new Electronic Crimes Law. The workshop, organized by the Palestinian Media and Resource Center (MPRC) and the Syndicates’ Union, was attended by journalists, legal expert; and representatives of media, law, and Internet institutions.
The workshop was moderated by Nabhan Khreisheh, Head of the MPRC, who said that the new law contradicts with the Palestinian Basic Law especially Item 27 that ensures freedom of speech. He went on to say that the Law contradicts also with the International Conventions signed by the State of Palestine, especially the 1966 Human Rights Convention and the 2001 Budapest Convention Against Information Crimes. Khreisheh added that the Electronic Crimes Law violates freedom of speech and individual freedom; and that because of the Law, 30 news websites have already been banned and that belong to opposition parties. He went on to say that the Law was born in the context of a political crisis, and that the clauses of the new Law contradict with the penalty code of 1960.
Omar Nazzal, Member of the Board of the Syndicates’ Union, said that the Union wanted to participate in drafting the Law, and that it informed the Palestinian Authority about this, but it received no answer for its quest to protect journalists that will be adversely affected.
Nazzal said that all clauses of the Law are in needed of amendment, and a mechanism is needed for review and amendment by the media sector and partner institutions.
Saleh Masharqa, Journalist, said that journalists must communicate with the Cabinet, in order to add text that respects intellect, and that refuses to regress with Palestine especially in light of the freedom enjoyed by many world societies.
Participants discussed the new Law, made comments. They rejected the calluses that contradict with the Basic Law, universal laws that include the Budapest Convention, and agreed that a letter should go to the Government and to create a follow-up committee in order to stop the Law until the necessary amendments are introduced. In addition, they agreed that a coalition of journalists, media institutions, and those interested in the freedom of expression work together, in order to create a lobbying and advocacy effort that stops implementation of the new Law.
The workshop comes as part of the meetings organized by the MPRC, in cooperation with Internews and funding by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), under the Supporting Civic Engagement and National Dialogue through Independent Palestinian Media Project.
