Uzbekistan: Law on Mass Media article 19

Recommendations:
–
Article 35 should be abolished.
Right to information
Article 351 of the Mass Media Law (introduced through the April 2018 amendments) 
provides that mass media outlets have the right to request public and administrative 
bodies to provide information about their activities as well as request interviews with public 
officials. In case of a refusal, public authorities must provide reasoning for the refusal.
ARTICLE 19 notes that further provisions on journalists’ right to information is also 
provided in a separate law – the Law on Professional Activity of Journalists – in 
somewhat different terms.
We reiterate that it is positive that the state wishes to provide for the right to information, 
recognised as an integral part of the right to freedom of expression. At the same time, 
we note that:
57 
The 2003 Joint Declaration, 
op.cit.

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The right to information should be guaranteed to everyone, not only media outlets. The 
Mass Media Law does not indicate whether the right to information under it differs in 
any way from the protection of the right of the public at large to access information. 
There is no justification, however, for any difference in treatment of media outlets and 
members of the public as holders of the right of access to information.
–
The scope of refusal to provide information should be limited. Article 35
1
merely 
states that public authorities should just provide “motivation” for the refusal. We note 
that under international standards, public bodies can refuse to provide information 
only if they can show that the information falls within the scope of a limited range of 
exceptions as permitted under a strict three-part test: 
–
the information relates to a legitimate aim listed in the law; 
–
disclosure threatens to cause substantial harm to that aim; and 
–
the harm to the aim is greater than the public interest in having the information.
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Article 35
1
falls well short of reflecting this three-part test on exceptions to these requirements.