Court Rules A Win For Freedom Of Press

Criminal Court headed by Judge Abdullah Al Othman established an important principle in a new court ruling, which falls under the victory for freedom of the press in Kuwait, affirming newspapers will not be convicted if they publish genuine news and named officials involved in the matter and others, a local daily reported.

The court has ruled that the editor of a newspaper be acquitted of the charge of libel for publishing the name of an engineer, who had faced a parliamentary questioning.

In the merits of its verdict, the court confirmed that newspapers are not held accountable or convicted in the event of publishing official news, even if they name people involved, as they did not accuse anyone, but rather conveyed facts.

Lawyers said this ruling is a new victory for freedom of expression, noting that the honest Kuwaiti judiciary attaches great importance to the freedom of the press and the media, and refuses to muzzle the holders of the pen, who always seek to show the pure truth and serve the public interest, regardless of any goals as responsible freedom is guaranteed constitutionally and legally.

They added the ruling clarifies that publishing naming names in the news is not defamation of the reputation and that the transmission of news that is found in evidence is not intended to defame or frame people, but rather a transmission of the truth, which is the role that the media is assigned to play, especially in those cases that concern public opinion.

 

SOURCE : TIMES KUWAIT

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