Ministry of Information Amends Law and Human Rights Activists
Demand Expansion of Freedoms
Members of Parliament, human rights activists and internet experts
praised the amendment presented by the Ministry of Culture and Information
of article 19 of the Decree No. 47 of 2002, regarding the organization
of printing and publishing in Bahrain. The amendment prevents the
Ministry from temporarily blocking websites of e-newspapers unless
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| Abdulnabi Al Ekri |
court permission is obtained. They also demanded that the amendment
cover all websites and not only online newspapers, and expressed
their unease with the fact that the Minister of Information still
has the authority over the organization of the internet, which could
lead to the issuing of wrong decisions. Abdulnabi Al Ekri , Head
of the Bahrain Transparency Society, said the amendment was insufficient,
and demanded that the Judiciary should have the last say in any
decision to block websites. He also stressed that there was a need
for more freedom and that laws regulating the press in Bahrain should
coincide with the level of existing freedoms, and should work to
increase them. AL Ekri also pointed out that website administrators
should have the right to file complaints against the Ministry of
Information for the decision to block their websites.
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