MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) representative on freedom of the media, Dunja Mijatoviс, on Thursday welcomed the decision of the Italian Senate not to increase defamation penalties, the OSCE said in a press release.
"The decision not to increase the maximum prison term is a step in the right direction," Mijatovic said as quoted in the press release. "Imprisonment is a disproportionate punishment for defamation and creates a chilling effect on media freedom."
The rejected bill designed to protect public officials proposed to increase the maximum prison penalty for detractors from six to nine years.
Mijatovic called on Italy and all other OSCE member states to fully decriminalize defamation.
