U. S. HELSINKI COMMISSION: Criminal Defamation and “Insult” Laws: A Summary of Free Speech Developments in the Czech Republic
Wednesday, January 9, 2002,
https://www.csce.gov/articles/criminal-defamation-and-insult-laws-summary-free-speech-developments-czech/ :

"when insult and criminal defamation laws are used, they are most often used to punish mere criticism of government policies or public officials, to stifle political discussion, and to squelch news and discussion that governments would rather avoid" -- "Some politicians resort to criminal defamation charges as a means of silencing their critics" -- "the threat of imprisonment, the cost associated with defending oneself in a criminal trial, and restrictions associated with a suspended sentence [...] all serve to chill free speech and the public debate necessary for a vibrant democracy." -- "There are also a number of laws that are not, per se, contrary to international norms but which may be used in ways that are inconsistent with the Czech Republic’s international commitments to free speech." -- "laws are being used in ways that are not compatible with international free speech norms." -- "Criminal defamation and “insult” laws [...] are not, however, consistent with OSCE norms and their use constitutes an infringement on the fundamental right to free speech." -- "Numerous non-governmental organizations have taken strong positions against criminal defamation and insult laws. These include Amnesty International; Article 19; the Committee to Protect Journalists; national Helsinki Committees such as the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee, Croatian Helsinki Committee, Greek Helsinki Committee, Romanian Helsinki Committee and Slovak Helsinki Committee; the International Helsinki Federation; The World Press Freedom Committee; Norwegian Forum for Freedom of Expression; national chapters of PEN; and Reporters Sans Frontières."

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