[WikiEN-l] Re: Trading with the Enemy

[Eric Demolli]

It's very simple :
If I write "Jacques Chirac est un .....bip..." it's an insult, it's illegal.
If I write "Jacques Chirac est le président le plus nul que la France a
connu, sa politique est débile." it's a critic, it's legal.
Insulting anyone is illegal in France, for instance.  If I write "Anthere
est une ...bip..." she can sue me.
The penalty is just worse for the President (and not for the whole
governement).
This law is never applied since Valery Giscard d'Estaing promised not sdue
anyone. I don't think any President will go back as long as France remains a
democracy. Thus if you want to insult someone in France insult the President
it's less  risky than insulting anyone else.

Eric Demolli

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Anthere" <anthere8 at yahoo.com>
To: <wikien-l at Wikipedia.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 29, 2004 4:20 AM
Subject: [WikiEN-l] Re: Trading with the Enemy


>
>
> Delirium a écrit:
> > Anthere wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> Rick a écrit:
> >>
> >>> Where would you suggest?  In France, it's illegal to criticize the
> >>> government.  In Germany, it's illegal to display Nazi memorabilia.
> >>> In the UK there's the Official Secrets Act to deal with.
> >>>
> >>> RickK
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> May I *seriously* suggest that you consider avoiding libel and
> >> comments that might anger your peers RickK ?
> >
> >
> > Well, according to the World Press Freedom Committee's document "Insult
> > Laws: A Insult to Press Freedom"
> >
(http://www.wpfc.org/site/docs/pdf/Publications/Insult%20Laws-An%20Insult%20
to%20Press%20Freedom-1996%20booklet.pdf):
> >
> > "...the primary form of this crime became known as 'insult to the
> > president of the republic,' whose classic form was set in the French
> > press law of 1881.  It remains the basic press legislation in France
> > today.  The 1881 law also carries serious penalties for insulting
> > foreign chiefs of state, foreign ministers or ambassadors of friendly
> > countries, and official bodies like parliament, the judiciary, and armed
> > forces... Similar provisions are on the books in Austria, Germany, the
> > Netherlands, Norway, and Spain."
> >
> > The report goes on to note that the French law was last actually used
> > under Charles de Gaulle in the 1960s, when a spectator was arrested for
> > crying out "hoo hoo" at him.  More recently the Sun was threatened with
> > a lawsuit for insulting Chirac, though this never materialized.
> >
> > The report also notes that the French law has served as an example for
> > many laws in other countries, especially less-developed countries, and
> > especially former French colonies, that *are* enforced, and those
> > countries defend their law under "well, France has such laws, so why
> > shouldn't we?"
> >
> > So "illegal to criticize" is going too far, but it's not entirely
> > without basis either.
> >
> > -Mark
>
> So...wait a minute here...
>
> If I understand well...
>
> There is a law that says it is illegal to criticize the french governement
>
> That law was used only *once* in 125 years.
>
> It was exactly *44* years ago
>
> And *we* should be considered responsible that freedom of speech is
> *not* respected in *other* countries, because other countries took
> example on us ?
>
> And *that* would be an argument to claim France does not respect freedom
> of speech and should not host Wikipedia ?
>
> And *this* is not meant to be insulting ?
>
> Please, consider this very carefully
>
>
http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2003/countryratings/france.htm
> http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2003/countryratings/usa.htm
>
> Compare
>
http://www.freedomhouse.org/research/freeworld/2003/countryratings/israel-israeliadmin.htm
>
> And consider
> http://www.amnestyusa.org/waronterror/guantanamo/index.html
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> WikiEN-l mailing list
> WikiEN-l at Wikipedia.org
> http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l