The Syndicate of Journalists (SSN) on April 15 requested in writing that President Ivan Gašparovič not sign the Press Code.
During his working visit to Strasbourg, President Gašparovič said on April 14 that the legislation does not suppress press freedoms; on the contrary, it expands freedom of speech, the TASR newswire quoted him as saying. "I may not have a reason not to sign it. If I don't sign it, it will go again to parliament which will pass it again."
The SSN deems the law to be unbalanced because from the whole process of information searching, gathering, processing and disseminating, it pays the most attention to the feedback – to the right of correction, reply and further rebuttal. The Student's Council of Slovak Universities has also asked the president not to sign the law, which was also criticised by the Association of Slovak Journalists (SZN), the Association of European Journalists as well as the Public Policy Institute, the Civic Association MEMO 98 and internationally, the Organisation for Co-operation and Security in Europe (OSCE). TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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