Attorney Ekimdjiev: If the Genie Is Let out of the Bottle, It Will Be Hard to Put It Back
Is it legitimate to prosecute those who criticize anti-epidemic measures and policies, the Association of European Journalists-Bulgaria asks in a statement. A comment was made by the lawyer Mihail Ekimdzhiev from the Association for European Integration and Protection of Human Rights in “The Web”.
"The text in Art. 326 of the Penal Code is a dead text because it criminalizes false alerts for disasters, accidents, alarms, the need for emergency assistance, etc. And suddenly the prosecutor's office, interpreting this text in a perverse way, decided to update its action, to resurrect it in this state of emergency.Thus, at the institutional level, it torpedoes the efforts of other authorities - the Executive, the National Operations Headquarters, to balance the need for mobilization and the reasonable restriction of certain rights and freedoms within the frame of the state of emergency. We, both human rights defenders and journalists, must respond. Yes, let's give the authorities time to do what they need to do. But not to tolerate the urge to power abuse that the prosecution demonstrates. Because while the other authorities give the impression at this stage that they know what they are doing, the only thing the prosecution does is to use the situation to extend in a malicious way its competence parameter, giving a perverse interpretation of a text that was created for a completely different legal context, "said Ekimdzhiev.
The prosecution is becoming an extremely powerful power center
"As we have seen, Mr. Geshev began to criticize the National Operational Headquarters, he began to speak on economic issues which he understands nothing of and from the institutional position of a state body nothing depends on. Because, whatever happens - more significant draconian measures, or a collapsing economy, he bears no responsibility. The responsibility will lie with the executive bodies and the Operations Headquarters, which are currently making these difficult, unpopular decisions. And as a prophet he stands at a safe distance, making predictions and warnings and since we all know the situation will become more dramatic we are sure he will then say, "I told you, I warned you. " This is disrespectful in his position, he allows himself to give populist advice and to enter into other people's competences without bearing any responsibility for their fulfillment or failure, "the lawyer is adamant.
Trust in institutions in times of a crisis
"If we can get out of this crisis with tolerable moral and economic damage, it will be a great occasion for creating and establishing trust between Bulgarian citizens and the state. Because, at least at this stage, we see the state's efforts to implement reasonable, pragmatic measures in public interest, and not in corrupt or partisan interests, as we used to see for criticize them. If we succeed in doing so, we will understand the meaning of the state, namely that it exists not only to corrupt and be corrupted but to guard us in such times of distress, with politicians, taking responsibility and spending sleepless nights looking for the right solutions, " added Ekimdzhiev.
Inter-ethnic hostility and the media
" Gen " Mutafchiysky's answerto the attempts to escalate ethnic hostility, made by some websites, was another extremely accurate response. Much more adequate than many of our politicians, who use the situation to incite interethnic hostility. This is a great occasion for the prosecution, rather than directing the Criminal Code's repression towards journalists and doctors who raise issues of public interest, to direct penalty measures to such types of statements that provoke divisions in society and interethnic tensions, Mikhail Ekimdzhiev.
"The text in Art. 326 of the Penal Code is a dead text because it criminalizes false alerts for disasters, accidents, alarms, the need for emergency assistance, etc. And suddenly the prosecutor's office, interpreting this text in a perverse way, decided to update its action, to resurrect it in this state of emergency.Thus, at the institutional level, it torpedoes the efforts of other authorities - the Executive, the National Operations Headquarters, to balance the need for mobilization and the reasonable restriction of certain rights and freedoms within the frame of the state of emergency. We, both human rights defenders and journalists, must respond. Yes, let's give the authorities time to do what they need to do. But not to tolerate the urge to power abuse that the prosecution demonstrates. Because while the other authorities give the impression at this stage that they know what they are doing, the only thing the prosecution does is to use the situation to extend in a malicious way its competence parameter, giving a perverse interpretation of a text that was created for a completely different legal context, "said Ekimdzhiev.
The prosecution is becoming an extremely powerful power center
"As we have seen, Mr. Geshev began to criticize the National Operational Headquarters, he began to speak on economic issues which he understands nothing of and from the institutional position of a state body nothing depends on. Because, whatever happens - more significant draconian measures, or a collapsing economy, he bears no responsibility. The responsibility will lie with the executive bodies and the Operations Headquarters, which are currently making these difficult, unpopular decisions. And as a prophet he stands at a safe distance, making predictions and warnings and since we all know the situation will become more dramatic we are sure he will then say, "I told you, I warned you. " This is disrespectful in his position, he allows himself to give populist advice and to enter into other people's competences without bearing any responsibility for their fulfillment or failure, "the lawyer is adamant.
Trust in institutions in times of a crisis
"If we can get out of this crisis with tolerable moral and economic damage, it will be a great occasion for creating and establishing trust between Bulgarian citizens and the state. Because, at least at this stage, we see the state's efforts to implement reasonable, pragmatic measures in public interest, and not in corrupt or partisan interests, as we used to see for criticize them. If we succeed in doing so, we will understand the meaning of the state, namely that it exists not only to corrupt and be corrupted but to guard us in such times of distress, with politicians, taking responsibility and spending sleepless nights looking for the right solutions, " added Ekimdzhiev.
Inter-ethnic hostility and the media
" Gen " Mutafchiysky's answerto the attempts to escalate ethnic hostility, made by some websites, was another extremely accurate response. Much more adequate than many of our politicians, who use the situation to incite interethnic hostility. This is a great occasion for the prosecution, rather than directing the Criminal Code's repression towards journalists and doctors who raise issues of public interest, to direct penalty measures to such types of statements that provoke divisions in society and interethnic tensions, Mikhail Ekimdzhiev.
Източник: banker.bg
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