Kuwaiti Journalists Criticize Stricter Media Laws
Posted by Trafton Kenney on January 19, 2010 at 2:53 PM
The Kuwait Journalists Association on Monday criticized a series of proposed amendments which would impose stricter punishment of press offences. The group of journalists along with prominent newspaper and television editors called on parliament to reject the new measures, even agreeing to boycott the lawmakers responsible for them.
"We urged MPs to reject the government plan to amend the press law," an official statement released by the KJA said.
"We urged MPs to reject the government plan to amend the press law," an official statement released by the KJA said.
Information Minister, Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah al-Sabah, first broke the
news to the country's newspaper editors of the planned amendments to
the country's Press and Publications Law and the Audio-Visual Law late
Sunday.
The amendments require a penalty of one to two years for any person who insults God.
Anyone publishing news without an official license would risk a fine of $175,000, a steep increase from the $3,500 penalty the law currently requires. As for the Audio-Visual law, employees of TV networks who broadcast without a license would face up to two years in jail instead of fines.
Kuwaiti media enjoy more freedom of speech than many of their neighbors. The original Press and Publications Law, passed in March 2006 after four years of deliberation, was designed to fight censoring in the Middle East. Among its main points, it required a final court ruling in order to imprison a journalist and made it easier for media outlets to obtain licences.
The amendments must pass through the cabinet before being debated in parliament in order to be ratified.
Sources: AFP, Editor's Weblog
The amendments require a penalty of one to two years for any person who insults God.
Anyone publishing news without an official license would risk a fine of $175,000, a steep increase from the $3,500 penalty the law currently requires. As for the Audio-Visual law, employees of TV networks who broadcast without a license would face up to two years in jail instead of fines.
Kuwaiti media enjoy more freedom of speech than many of their neighbors. The original Press and Publications Law, passed in March 2006 after four years of deliberation, was designed to fight censoring in the Middle East. Among its main points, it required a final court ruling in order to imprison a journalist and made it easier for media outlets to obtain licences.
The amendments must pass through the cabinet before being debated in parliament in order to be ratified.
Sources: AFP, Editor's Weblog
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