Turkiye's 'disinformation Bill threatens freedom of speech,' Europe watchdog says

Turkiye's proposed "disinformation" Bill threatens freedom of speech and could further harm journalism ahead of next year's elections, a European rights watchdog's legal body said, calling for Turkiye's Parliament to reject it, Reuters reports

Turkiye's 'disinformation Bill threatens freedom of speech,' Europe watchdog says
Author: Brookings Institution. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/96739999@N05/9240952792, under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Estimated reading time: less than 1 minute


According to the report, the watchdog, Venice Commission, said prison sentences and other fallout from the draft legislation could lead to "arbitrary restrictions of freedom of expression".

"The Commission is particularly concerned with the potential consequences of such provision, namely, the chilling effect and increased self-censorship, not least in view of the upcoming elections in June 2023," it said late on Friday.

It said the Bill "constitutes an interference with the freedom of expression" protected by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

Source: Middle East Monitor under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

What's Your Reaction?

like

dislike

love

funny

angry

sad

wow