Yearbook 15 2013 The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media CONTENTS Contents Preface .......................................................................................................................... 1 Foreword ....................................................................................................................... 3 Mandate ........................................................................................................................ 5 Decision No. 193: Mandate of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media ............................6 Decision No. 1/13: Extension of the Mandate of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media ...................................................10 Interpretative Statement under Paragraph IV.1(A)6 of the Rules of Procedure of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe by the delegation of the Russian Federation ...................................................................................... 11 Interpretative Statement under Paragraph IV.1(A)6 of the Rules of Procedure of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe by the delegation of the United States of America ............................................................................. 12 Declarations ................................................................................................................ 13 Joint Declaration on the Protection of Freedom of Expression and Diversity in the Digital Terrestrial Transition ......................................................................... 14 15th Central Asia Conference Declaration .............................................................. 21 Third OSCE South East Europe Media Conference Declaration .............................24 10th South Caucasus Media Conference Declaration .............................................26 Presentations .............................................................................................................. 29 15th Central Asia Conference ............................................................................... 30 Opening statement by Dunja Mijatović ............................................................31 Eric Freedman .................................................................................................. 34 Tamara Kaleeva ................................................................................................ 40 Nuriddin Karshiboev ......................................................................................... 45 Muslim Musayev .............................................................................................. 52 Leila Saralaeva .................................................................................................. 58 iii CONTENTS Third OSCE South East Europe Media Conference ...............................................66 Opening remarks by Dunja Mijatović ...............................................................67 10th South Caucasus Media Conference .............................................................. 70 Opening speech by Dunja Mijatović .................................................................71 Mehman Aliyev ................................................................................................ 74 Vugar Aliyev ..................................................................................................... 81 Tigran Balayan .................................................................................................. 86 Nouneh Sargsyan ............................................................................................. 91 Closing remarks by Dunja Mijatović .................................................................98 Regular Reports to the Permanent Council.............................................................. 100 13 June 2013 ........................................................................................................101 28 November 2013 .............................................................................................. 139 Legal Reviews ............................................................................................................ 182 Belarus: a legal review regarding the proposed amendments to the law on information, information technologies and protection of information ...............183 Belarus: a review regarding the decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus “on introduction of amendments and changes to some decrees of the President of the Republic of Belarus” ............................................................210 Bosnia and Herzegovina: analysis of amendments to the law on freedom of access to information .......................................................................................... 243 Bosnia and Herzegovina: legal analysis of the draft law on electronic communications .................................................................................................. 260 Georgia: analysis of proposed amendments to the law on broadcasting ...........282 Italy: legal analysis of Law No. 925 of 17 October 2013 concerning the defamation legislation ......................................................................................... 294 Kazakhstan: a legal review of proposed amendments to the Criminal Code and the Administrative Code ............................................................................... 310 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: legal analysis of the draft law on media and audiovisual media services ...........................................................352 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: comments on the second draft of the draft law on media and audiovisual media services .................................372 The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: Comments on the New Versions iv of the draft law on media and audiovisual media services ..................................376 Tajikistan: a legal review of Tajikistan’s new law on periodical print and other mass media ................................................................................................ 382 Ukraine: a legal review of the proposed law on public service broadcasting ......429 v Preface PREFACE By Ambassador Ihor Prokopchuk I am pleased to present the 2013 Yearbook of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. It is a particular honor to introduce this publication as 2013 marked the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the OSCE Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media – a unique OSCE Institution, advocating and promoting full compliance with OSCE principles and commitments regarding freedom of expression and free media. The significant work in promoting freedom of expression across the OSCE region is car- ried out on a daily basis by the Representative, Dunja Mijatović. In particular, this relates to the safety of journalists, both online and offline, decriminalization of defamation and Internet freedom. The 2013 Ukrainian OSCE Chairmanship highly valued our fruitful cooperation through- out the year aimed at promoting media freedom as one of the priorities of the Ukrainian Chairmanship. Efficient implementation of the OSCE commitments in the area of media freedom remains an integral part of the OSCE’s concept of comprehensive security. The year started with an important conference, “Internet 2013: Shaping policies to ad- vance media freedom”, organized by the Representative. The Internet 2013 Conference offered an excellent opportunity to explore key issues related to Internet Freedom and included discussions on many relevant topics ranging from freedom of expression and hate speech to the future of copyright online and liability for comments on news sites. The conference attracted more than 400 representatives from governments, media, aca- demia, industry, civil society as well as legislators and policymakers. The Human Dimension Seminar on the Media Freedom Legal Framework, co-organized by the Ukrainian Chairmanship, the Representative and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, provided a platform for participating States and all -inter ested actors to discuss the pressing issues of media freedom domestically and interna- tionally, particularly in the context of a legislative framework that should guarantee and foster this freedom. This has been one of very few events on media freedom within the OSCE to which all participating States agreed by consensus. Moreover, the Chairmanship fully supported the comprehensive efforts of the Represen- tative to improve the environment for journalists to work without fear, in security and safety. More needs to be done by all of us as there will be no free media unless the safety of journalists is dully ensured. This Yearbook, which chronicles the work of the Representative and the Office through- out the year, is a valuable addition to the public’s understanding of the role of free media and the role of the OSCE in promoting and defending free media and free expression in the participating States. It is an important resource for those who want to stay abreast of today’s media-freedom issues. Prokopchuk is Chairperson of the OSCE Permanent Council in 2013 and Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna. 2 FOREWORD Foreword 3 FOREWORD By Dunja Mijatović This Yearbook is a detailed account of the activities taken by my Office to carry out the mandate given to the Representative in 1997, which includes the requirement