The Council Committee on Law Enforcement Activities has for the second time supported for re-reading draft law No. 10242, which may restrict freedom of speech in Ukraine.
This was reported by MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
According to him, the draft law still contains norms that could limit the activities of journalists.
"This time they added the cancellation of the ʼLozovyi amendmentsʼ. But not in the correct wording," the MP added.
Zheleznyak previously said that they want to vote on the law this week, and added that together with other MPs, they will block the adoption of the law by submitting 1 600 amendments to it.
What is draft law No. 10242 and why is it being criticized?
This document proposes to introduce criminal liability for the disclosure of confidential information from public registers during martial law. Initially, the maximum penalty proposed was eight years in prison, but by the second reading it was reduced to five years.
The draft law was voted on in its first reading on January 16, 2024, but the document has already failed to pass its second reading twice.
The draft law has drawn sharp criticism from media and civil society organizations, who believe it could be used as a tool to persecute journalists.
The Institute of Mass Information (IMI) says that despite the reduction in the term of imprisonment, the draft law does not take into account critical comments regarding the need to introduce effective protection mechanisms for people who disclose confidential information in the interests of society, in particular journalists and whistleblowers.
“This tool can still be used to prosecute journalists for investigations that are uncomfortable for government officials,” the IMI statement said.
What alternatives do they offer?
As the head of the Committee on Freedom of Speech, Yaroslav Yurchyshyn proposes to hold additional consultations with international partners and media professionals on how to protect personal data without encroaching on the rights of journalists. And only after that, develop a new draft law with a reference to the protection of whistleblowersʼ rights.
According to Yurchyshyn, the position of the National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NAPC) is important.
The draft law No. 10242 also contained provisions on asset confiscation — the Rada registered a separate bill No. 12269 on this matter, which, according to Yurchyshyn, completely solves this problem.
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