TIRANA, Jan. 15 – The Parliamentary Commission on Education and Media approved amendments to the Criminal Code and the Civil Code on Tuesday regarding defamation and insult.
A majority vote taken in the Commission decided to treat defamation and insult as civil issues, the instances of which will no longer lead to criminal punishment.
Currently, the law provides punishment of one to five years imprisonment for defamation and insult.
According to the amendments, the burden of proof falls on the persons accused of defamation and insult, and where found guilty, the amendments envisage financial penalties for those who violate the dignity and integrity of another person via defamation and/or insult.
The law mainly covers journalists’ work.
The discussion of the amendments in the Commission caused a heated debate with opposition Socialist lawmaker Marko Bello arguing the changes should only affect journalists and not all individuals in general.
Opposition lawmaker from the Socialist Movement for Integration, P쭬umb Xhufi, argued that “99 percent of the European countries treat defamation with criminal punishment. Why should we be any different, and join countries like Bosnian or Georgia in this regard?”
Xhufi said the amendments should afford “special protection to journalists” and not individuals.
Governing Democratic Party lawmaker Edi Paloka defended the amendments saying that, “the legal initiative brought before us is aligned to international standards and European practice. There is no need to make any further changes [to the Codes].”
