Turkey’s parliament has ratified a sweeping new law that would see those accused of spreading disinformation jailed for up to three years, The Guardian transmits.
The controversial bill, proposed by the ruling Justice and Development party (AKP), contains wide-ranging provisions intended to rein in domestic journalism as well as social media. A coalition of 22 press freedom organisations said the bill “provides a framework for extensive censorship of online information and the criminalisation of journalism, which will enable the government to further subdue and control public debate in the lead up to Turkey’s general elections in 2023”.
The new law means those found guilty of intentionally publishing disinformation or “fake news” that the authorities claim spreads panic, endangers security forces or the overall health of Turkish society could be sentenced to up to three years in prison. The bill also specifies that sentences can be increased by up to half if anonymous accounts are used to spread alleged disinformation.
