H. E. Vladimir Meciar
Prime Minister
Office of the Government of
the Slovak Republic
Bratislava
Slovakia

Vienna, 10 April 1996

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), is most concerned about the recent passing of new anti-subversion legislation by Slovakia’s parliament.

The amendments to the penal code, rammed through parliament by Your Excellency’s coalition government on 26 March 1996, allow for imprisonment of people who are found to have organised anti-government rallies or spread false information about Slovakia abroad. The new law states that those who “with malicious intent circulate false information abroad harming the interests of the republic” can be jailed or fined.

We are informed that on Tuesday, 9 April 1996, President Michal Kovac refused to sign the amended penal code, which he considers to be undemocratic, and returned it to parliament for reconsideration, a decision which IPI fully supports.

IPI, a global network of editors and media executives from newspapers, magazines, broadcasting organisations and news agencies in 85 countries, regards the amendments to be a directed assault on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. We therefore strongly urge Your Excellency’s government to reconsider the law and to eliminate the anti-subversion amendments.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director