Latvian Minister of Justice Jānis Bordāns and ministry propose punishing the act of disrupting public order by means of spreading fake news by sentencing the person responsible to several years in prison.
The Saeima’s Criminal Law Policy Subcommittee commenced the viewing of this proposal today. The committee’s chairman Andrejs Judins said that the Criminal Law already provides a penalty for the aforementioned crime. The minister’s proposed new solution is generally considered a clarification.
Judins also said the issue of
how best to resolve the problem of disinformation, when even fragments of the truth are presented in a biased manner and used to mislead people remains open.
Judins voiced conceptual support for Bordāns’ proposal and the chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee Juris Jurašs said this topic will be discussed during one of the next meetings of the subcommittee.
Saeima deputy Ļubova Švecova stressed she is categorically against the proposed changed.
Bordāns proposed expanding the Criminal Law with a new section dedicated to the spread of fake news. The first part of the proposal provides for punishing the gross disturbance of public order through intentional spreading of intentionally fake news or made up facts, disrupting peace or the work of institutions, companies or organisations with deprivation of freedom for up to three years or short-term deprivation of freedom, community service or fine with or without probation period of up to three years.
If such a crime is committed and causes severe consequences, the punishment may reach deprivation of freedom of up to five years or short-term deprivation of freedom, community service or a fine.
If the crime is committed using an automated data processing system and if it causes severe damages, the penalty may reach up to four years in prison or short-term deprivation of freedom, community service, a fine with or without probation for a period of up to three years.
Prison sentence suggested as penalty for spreading fake news in Latvia
