Media News - Wednesday, September 05, 2012

Anti-terrorism bill in Peru could muzzle freedom of expression, press

On Aug. 28, a new anti-terrorism bill was presented in the Peruvian Congress that could restrict freedom of expression and the press in the South American country, according to the AFP. The bill, proposed by the executive branch, proposes adding "denial of terrorist crimes" to the criminal code, reported the newspaper El Comercio. According to the newspaper, the bill would allow prison sentences between four and eight years for anyone who, in a public manner, approves of, justifies, denies or minimizes criminal acts committed by terrorist organizations. The government said that the "Denial Law," as it has come to be known, aims to strengthen the rule of law by "criminalizing conduct that goes beyond socially recognized norms and trivializes or tries to justify grave acts of violent terrorism perpetrated in [Peru]," reported the website RPP. Ombudsman Eduardo Vega Luna said that the bill would undergo a review to understand how it could restrict freedom of expression, reported the news agency Andina. Vega said the review process would focus on two subjects: first, fighting terrorism by legal means and second, determining if this bill could limit other rights, reported the news agency. (Knight Center)

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