The amendment to the Law on Media, which gives the state prosecutor the power to ban the distribution of media based on personal assessment, would represent a big step back when it comes to freedom of expression in Montenegro, the Media Council for Self-Regulation (MSS) has assessed. That media self-regulatory body is concerned about the latest initiative of the majority of parliamentary parties, which calls for an urgent amendment of the Media Act by abbreviated procedure. "Individual cases of blatant abuse of the media cannot be a justification for the introduction of restrictive measures towards the media and the narrowing of media freedoms," said the statement of the executive secretary of the MSS, Ranko Vujović. He reminded that the Law on Media was drafted in close cooperation with the Council of Europe and that it represents one of the best and most liberal laws in that area in Europe. "Amendments to this law using abbreviated procedures, without any consultation, and the introduction of open censorship in the media are not activities that will contribute to the expansion of media freedom," Vujović believes.
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