Albania Online Media Bill Raises Censorship Fears

A bill introduced into Albania's parliament by the opposition MP and former minister Majlinda Bregu is expected to stir a stiff debate on freedom of expression in the country.

The draft law aims to put an end to derogatory and offensive comments by users on online portals, holding their administrators accountable for any infringement of the law.

The bill, which is supported by the bi-partisan women's caucus in the Albanian parliament, seeks to add a new article as well as transitory provisions to the civil code, which will force the administrators of online portals to block the publication of comments that "breach the honour, personality and reputation of a person".

According to the bill, the administrator of the website will be held legally responsible for the publication of such comments and for damages. The law also obliges administrators to remove offensive comments immediately after receiving a complaint.

"The is bill is being proposed in a moment when social media is gaining ground and every article is filled with denigrating and offensive comments, which go beyond ethical norms," Bregu wrote in the explanation that accompanies the bill.

"Freedom of thought and freedom of speech cannot breach the dignity and personality of the individual," she added.

The bill refers to a decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which is known as Delfi AS vs Estonia.

The Strasburg Court held an Estonian portal responsible for the comments of a user, which it said went beyond criticism. However, the case is still pending in the Grand Chamber of the court, and many lawyers have criticized the earlier verdict.

"This bill is based on a court verdict that is not yet final and it would be more reasonable to wait for the court...