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Censorship in Serbia is prohibited by the Constitution. Freedom of expression and of information are protected by international and national law. Yet, instances of censorship and self-censorship are still reported in the country. Serbia is deemed "partly free" (31-60) by Freedom House, with a rating of 35.〔"(2012 Freedom of the Press Data )", Freedom House, 1 May 2012〕 Reporters Without Borders (RWB) Press freedom index for Serbia is 26.59, remarking "noticeable problems (25 to 36.49) 〔"(Press Freedom Index 2013 )", Reporters Without Borders, 30 January 2013〕 The 2014 RWB's World Press Freedom Index ranked Serbia in 67th position, marking a significant deterioration from 2013 (54th), after having improved since 2010 when it ranked 85th - something deemed a "worrying decline".〔 Within the framework of negotiations with the European Union, the EU has requested that Serbia improves and guarantees freedom of expression and of the press. According to Christian Mihr of Reporters Without Borders, "as a candidate country () must seriously understand the importance of the independence of journalists and the need for freedom of the media."〔 == Legislative framework == Serbia is part of the European Convention on Human Rights and of the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both imposing obligations to protect freedom of expression and information. The Constitution of Serbia guarantees freedom of expression (including freedom of speech and press) and allows for its restriction only "to protect the rights and reputation of others, to uphold the authority and objectivity of the courts and to protect public health, morals of a democratic society and national security of the Republic of Serbia" - as in compliance with the standards set by the European Convention on Human Rights. While the law does not include a specific provision on hate speech, it is a criminal offense in Serbia to "incite" national, racial, or religious intolerance. In June 2011 the Constitutional Court banned the extreme right-wing organization Nacionalni Stroj (National Front) for promoting racist hate speech.〔 It is a Constitutional right, in Serbia, to freely establish media without prior authorization. Licenses, required for TV and radio stations, are granted by an independent body, the Republic Broadcasting Agency (RBA). Censorship is prohibited by the Constitution.〔Elda Brogi, Alina Dobreva, and Pier Luigi Parcu, "(Freedom of Media in the Western Balkans )", study for the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights, October 2014, EXPO/B/DROI/2013/16〕 The legislative framework on the media in Serbia includes a Law on Public Information, a Law on Broadcasting, a Law on Free Access to Information of Public Importance and a Law on Elections of the Members of the Parliament (regulating electoral coverage). The Criminal Code still stipulates fines for insult, even after the abolishment of criminal defamation provisions.〔 In 2013 the Criminal Code was amended to include a specific reference, in art.138(3), to the endangerment of "persons discharging duties of public importance in the area of public information related to his/her duties", which official sources confirmed was meant to include journalists.〔 Statistics about prosecutions in 2014 show that 10 cases, out of 4,080 criminal offenses recorded in the year, pertained to art.138(3); of these, 2 led to indictment and one to a conviction.〔 New laws on electronic media, public services, and access to public information, are in the pipeline, according to the 2011 Media Strategy, but have not yet been adopted.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Media freedom in Serbia」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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