Government consents to constitutional amendments on freedom of opinion and expression

The authorities promise a broader freedom of opinion and expression. The Government on Wednesday, November 7, okayed a bill which removes the phrase “denying and slandering the State” from Article 32 of the Constitution. Thus, after Parliament passes the amendment, libellous speeches against the State will not be subject to prosecution anymore. The note attached to the draft makes reference to the European standards, which forbid only violent actions; otherwise the right to criticism and to freedom of commenting on political matters and other issues of public concern is strongly affected. According to the Government, the draft is part of the lawmaking efforts of the National Action Plan on Human Rights for 2004-2008. Besides, this constitutional amendment is required by the Moldova-NATO Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) for 2006-2009. In the amended version, point 3 of Article 32 of the Constitution reads as follows: “Shall be forbidden and prosecuted the investigations to sedition, war, aggression, ethnic, racial or religious hatred, the incitement to discrimination, territorial separatism, public violence, or other actions threatening constitutional order”.