Parliament adopts restrictive new media bill

The Togolese parliament on Tuesday passed a new media bill despite the concerns of lobby groups on media freedom that it would stifle the media in the West African country. The new bill, modifying several aspects of the existing press code, was adopted by the government on 21 August, according to news agency reports. The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had said on Friday it was "alarmed" at the new legislation which. It said the bill would further restrict Togo's "already repressive" press laws. "The bill put forward by cabinet proposes heavy prison sentences for "defaming or insulting' [the president], state institutions, courts, the armed forces and public administration bodies," CPJ said. The new Togolese bill increases the penalty for "insulting the Head of State" from six months imprisonment to a "one to five year jail term with no parole and a fine or one to five million CFA francs (about US $1,480 to $7,400)". It introduces penalties ranging from three months to two years in jail for those found guilty of "insulting the National Assembly speaker, the prime minister, parliamentarians, government members and constitutional institutions". The bill also includes a proposed three-year jail term for defamation of "courts, tribunals, the armed forces, security forces, constituent bodies, and the public administration". The current law provides for a three-month jail term, The international press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) had also protested against the bill, saying it demonstrated the Togolese government's willingness "to further increase their repression of journalists."