“The Slovak Constitution is based on the fundaments of fundamental human rights and freedoms which include the freedom of speech, and also the fact that a marriage is a marriage of a man and a woman,” said the AZR’s Anton Chromík at a January 20 press conference.
He added that many media are facing pressure not to open nation-wide debate that their spot should have incited. “We are not a political party, but rather a civic association... and thus, the provisions concerning political advertisement do not include us,” Chromík said, as quoted by the TASR newswire. “This intimidating of media must end, and that is why court must decide in this serious issue of the freedom of speech and its limitation.”
AZR’s Peter Kremský was concerned that Slovak media inform in a biased and often demagogical way.
The referendum will include three questions – one was refused by the Constitutional Court: they touch on limiting the application of the word “marriage” only to the union of a man and a woman; a question on preventing same-sex couples from adopting children; and whether or not parents should be able to opt their children out of sex education in schools.
(Source: TASR)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
