MOSCOW, October 3 (RIA Novosti) - A newly-proposed Australian anti-terror legislation that entails, among other things, a 10-year imprisonment of journalists for disclosing unauthorized intelligence information, has a negative impact on the freedom of the press, Australian Senator Nick Xenophon's Administration told RIA Novosti on his behalf Friday.
"Nick has said the insertion of proposed section 35P in the legislation could potentially see journalists jailed for undertaking and discharging their legitimate role in the modern democratic society - reporting in the public interest. He has said such an approach is untenable and must not be included in the legislation," Xenophon's office representative commented.
During his speech at the Australian Senate last week, Nick Xenophon stressed that the freedom of the press must not be affected by a new legislation, and this is where the amendment is weak.
"I have real concerns about the impact of this particular piece of the legislation on the freedom of the press," Senator said.
The new legislation was first introduced and read on September 24, in the wake of a terrorist threat from the Islamic State extremist group. On Wednesday, Australian parliament adopted the security law, which bans copying, transcribing, retaining and recording intelligence materials. Disclosing information concerning special intelligence operations is also prohibited.
Earlier this week, Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit organization that defends civil liberties in the digital sphere, said terrorism was being used as a pretext to adopt legal changes aimed at introducing a surveillance regime in the country.
