CRO LOWER HOUSE ENDS DEBATE ON FINAL PENAL CODE BILL

ZAGREB, Sept 18 (Hina) - Croatian Parliament's House of Representatives ended a debate on a final bill on penal code on Thursday. Explaining the government's bill, Justice Minister Miroslav Separovic said it included principles of the Croatian juridical tradition and international conventions and promoted basic human rights and freedoms. Commenting on the bill, Separovic described it as not repressive. Under the bill, the severest sentence will be the prison sentence from 20 to 40 years in jail. It also includes precise provisions for responsibilities of editors-in-chief. During the discussion much attention was devoted to Article 322 ( on spreading of false information). MPs said that it was unclear what meant "to disturb a great number of citizens", and added that the article created a possibility of numerous abuses and could lead up to punishment of opinions. The parliamentary legislation committee said that it was difficult to establish whether the publishing of a piece of news or some claim really alarmed a big number of people and the committee proposed an amendment to the article. The amendment should say precisely that a criminal act is committed by persons who spread information although they know that the information in question is false and suitable for disturbing a great number of citizens, and whose aim is to disturb people by announcing such information,. (hina) jn mš 181739 MET sep 97