The sanctions will be applied, according to the text, to those who “through duly proven libel or slander intend to attack or obstruct the constitutional and legal functions of a public official.”
The Foundation for Freedom of the Press, the Inter-American Press Association, and the National Association of Communication Media quickly objected to this article, considering that it “promotes the use of criminal proceedings as a sanction for freedom of expression, contrary to standards inter-American and constitutional “.
“This type of approach, which is formulated in such a general way, trying to impose judicial barriers to freedom of expression, are very typical of authoritarian regimes, in which freedom of expression is curtailed,” refuted the director of Transparency for Colombia. , Andrés Hernández, quoted by local media and the Europa Press news agency.
The article, however, must receive the approval of the Senate and then go to the presidential signature to be effective.
With 67 votes against and 51 votes in favor, the House defended the measure.
The controversial article, which was supported by the majority of the representatives, establishes an addition to the penal code and provides penalties of 60 to 120 months in prison for those who do not comply with it.
The same article establishes that if the person responsible for this conduct is the legal representative or member of any community organization, “the guarantee control judge will order the competent authority that, prior to compliance with the legal requirements established for it, proceed to the suspension or cancellation of the legal status of the community organization ”.
Although the proposal is conceived as a defense of the honor of public officials, the disputed text can be quite problematic, since it could enable judicial harassment against journalists and any other person who denounces possible irregularities committed by a public official.
Source From: Ambito
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