Reaction to the draft law on digital and social media in the IKB: This is totally unacceptable
Representatives of the Movement for Change (Goran) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) made an initiative in the Parliament of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKB).
In July, the signature of 50 MPs asked for a law to take legal action against digital and social media broadcasts and posts that "harm national interests".
A draft was also prepared for this purpose. The draft amendment led to a debate on press freedom in the KRG.
While some groups opposed the draft, some argued that legal measures should be taken against the attacks of the Kurds on national interests and symbols.
A group of journalists, writers, academics and lawyers among them strongly opposed the proposal submitted to the parliament and noted that the bill should not be approved in any way.
In the joint statement, it was stated that "Although the project prepared is specified as the regulation of social and digital media, it is aimed at restricting or preventing the citizens' freedom of criticism against the power in the use of social media."
"We aim to make arrangements in the use of social media"
Selma Fatih, chairman of the Cultural Commission of the IKB Parliament, said that they received serious complaints about the use of social media, and as a result, they requested the advisory board to prepare a draft to be submitted to the parliament.
Stating that they acknowledged that they witnessed the rise of violent voices from many segments after the draft was prepared, Fatih said, "Of course, criticism and concerns are justified. We accept that social media is the great power of the people. It reflects the thought and reaction of all events in our homeland. However, it is understood that we censorship. not, we aim to make arrangements for the use of social media, "he said.
Fatih noted that the signatories are experienced personalities who have become part of the society and that they will open the draft for discussion with the lawyer and related parties at the consultation meetings they will hold in Erbil and Süleymaniye.
What is included in the social media bill consisting of 22 items and sub-clauses?
The bill was presented to the parliament on 27-28 July and discussed.
According to the 4th article of the draft, the journalist, editor and editor-in-chief includes all social media users as well as media employees working in digital media.
In another sense, the design includes not only news sites, but also everything that is written or drawn on social media, official or personal accounts.
It includes group comments and communication in all kinds of social networks.
In the event of "insulting, insulting or spreading groundless news", the editor or editor-in-chief can be fined between one million dinars and 5 million languages.
It also covers issues such as the owner of the site being an Iraqi citizen, indicating the financial source, not being under the age of 21, not having any objection to doing legal journalism, not having any previous judgment about it, having a prominent name on the site and not contradicting "general customs and traditions".
Those who work as editors, journalists and editors on news websites are Iraqi citizens, and do not work as editorial writers and editors for another website at the same time.
The most reacted item in the draft bill is the 12th item.
The reason for the reaction to the article in question is that especially the cases opened are open to trial within the scope of the "terror article".
It covers items such as not disclosing the details of a case that is still under investigation during the judicial process.
While all journalists and academics strongly oppose the draft law, those who support the draft law; It was stated that the digital media affected more societies both in the world and in the IKB due to the development of technology, rapid news and the spread of the events to the masses, and the draft was prepared on the grounds that different opinions were accessed unhealthy information.
The draft was prepared by Goran Deputy Mecid Salih and Tarık Cewhersarmemi, a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, on behalf of the IKB Parliament's Culture, Youth and Sports and Civil Society Commission.
Kubad Talabani: It is a form of corruption done by political parties on social media
In his statement on the issue, KRB Deputy Prime Minister Kubad Talabani stated that he was worried by opposing the law proposal from many segments of the society, especially members of the media, and that this reaction indicates that all segments of the society do not want to be deprived of the existing freedom.
"Most of the journalists and media workers I spoke with criticized the bill," said Talabani. He also criticized the influence of politics on digital media.
Talabani stated that he was one of the people who suffered from baseless news, and that he objected to every law restricting freedom of expression, and stated that the draft will be discussed again by postponing the enactment of the draft due to the concern that the articles beyond its intended purpose will be used maliciously in the draft.
Talabani emphasized that even if there is a gap in digital and social media regarding rights violations, they will try to solve this by world standards.
"Control needs to be done"
Speaking to Independent Turkish, IKB Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Salar Osman noted that the understanding of media has changed in the modern world and that digital media is hosted in visual, sensory and written forms.
Dr. Salar Osman
Stating that a concept such as citizen journalism has recently developed, Osman said, "Social media has become a field in which it contains many definitions and every layer of society. Every citizen can share photos and all kinds of opinions as they want. Therefore, there should be laws for digital media, especially social media. " said.
Osman continued his words as follows:
The law to be enacted should protect the interests of the people and the government and include responsibility, which does not restrict individual rights. We need to enact a law that will protect both our country and our citizens, which will not prevent the society from living together in peace and harmony.
"The bill is against universal rights"
Working on journalists' rights in the IKB, Metro Center General Manager Rahman Gareb said that the draft prepared completely contradicts human rights, universal rights and the statute of the Kurdistan Journalists Union and they are against the draft.
Rahman Gareb said, "The draft aims to limit the freedom of thought of the individual, to restrict the culture of criticism in the Kurdistan Region and to increase the censorship of free thought. The draft is also compatible with the" terror "law. For these reasons, we oppose the draft as NGOs and citizens."
Rahman Gareb
Emphasizing that the draft was suspended for 6 months by the President of the KRG Parliament as a result of the reactions, Gareb said, "After 6 months, the draft will be opened to discussion with the participation of all NGOs representing the society, expert academicians, freedom of thought advocates and all relevant parties. "It is the approval of a law that will not constitute a constitution. Moreover, the group leaders we interviewed oppose the stonework," he said.
"Our gains towards freedom in the region are more, we cannot give up"
Stating that they have concerns about the passage of a bill of this content in the parliament, Gareb added the following to his words:
During this period, we met with the party leaders, including the Goran Secretary and Mr. Kubad Talabani, and we will continue our meetings. The bill cannot pass through parliament in this way. digital media law that removed some time ago in Turkey is too bad, Qatar, Iran and the press in many countries in the region interior in a deplorable state, but we press freedom in Kurdistan, we are in a position that is much better and beautiful steps we took. Tangible laws in existing laws, but these laws need to be implemented. We are still not in the state status, we need more freedom of press and opinion. The effort to bring it to the position of neighboring and other countries in the region is meaningless.
"We are a party to the law to be approved, our opinion needs to be taken"
The General Secretary of the Kurdistan Journalists' Union, Hakim Azad, stated that their opinions were not asked in the motion and that their unions were legally a party to some articles.
Indicating that the proposal was postponed to an uncertain date as a result of the reaction and that it will be prepared again with the participation of all relevant parties, Azad added:
Social media and digital media should not be confused. The intended use of both areas is different. With the acceptance of the report we presented to the Shura Council 2 years ago, we are registering all the sites in the Kurdistan Region. We are in favor of regulating the digital media law within this scope.
Hakim Azad
Noting that they are against the "terror" clause and the condition of being an Iraqi citizen in the draft, Hakim Azad said, "We think that this article will be abolished as a result of the reactions shown. In addition, it is also contradictory to the clause that the head writer is over the age of 21 and that the journalist is an Iraqi citizen. "The important thing is to have a journalist identity. It is not important to be a citizen of Iraq. It is enough to be a member of our union as a journalist in the Kurdistan Region. We do not want this to be changed. We want everyone to be free without discrimination in our country."
It is necessary to regulate social media Turkey, USA, Russia and Azad said that there are serious initiative and the discussion on this issue in many countries, "must be brought to the course of some embodiments of this issue, but it limits of a very carefully drawn, people, and so as not to violate the freedom of opinion a "We are in favor of supervision," he said.
The draft prepared in IKB, for the inspection of social media in Turkey after a pass through the Parliament drew attention to the preparation.
Some countries have regulations that hold social media platforms responsible for the removal of content and posts that violate their laws and impose criminal sanctions on companies if necessary steps are not taken.
Many countries argue that while making legal regulations that suit them, social media companies are also conducting audits on their platforms.
- translated into english by a turkish site called (indyturk.com)
PM:03:24:07/09/2020
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