Draft of RDTL Media Law reported by Parliament Committee A on 2 May 2014 Page 12 Rough translation by La’o Hamutuk. See http://www.laohamutuk.org/misc/MediaLaw/14MediaLaw.htm for original and other materials. CHAPTER VI FORMS OF LIABILITY Article 38 Forms of liability For acts injurious to the interests and values protected by law, committed through the press, the perpetrators are civilly and criminally answerable. Article 39 Liability 1. The author, the director or his legal substitute and the media company or organization are jointly liable for the damage they have caused in cases of publication of text, sound or image in a media body, 2. Entitlement to compensation for damage caused by media lapses if the action is not brought within three years from the date on which the publication or broadcast occurred, as provided in Article 432 of the Civil Code. Article 40 Offences 1. Violations of the provisions of this law which do not entail criminal liability, and for those which the Press Council has exhausted its mediation mechanisms, if these mechanisms have taken place, are judged by the Press Council, which applies the respective fines. 2. Decisions of the Press Council may be appealed to the court of first instance. 3. Allocation of revenue from fines referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be determined in joint diploma of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry that oversees the area of Media. Article 41 Attacks on freedom of information 1. Is punished with imprisonment up to two years or a fine anyone who: a) Obstructs or disturbs the composition, printing, distribution and free circulation of publications; b) Impounds any publications; c) Takes or damages any materials necessary to the exercise of journalistic activity; d) Prevents journalists or teams of press bodies from free access to public places; e) Practices any other act that disrupts, impedes, jeopardizes or reduces the ability to exercise journalistic activity under this law. 2. A civil servant or agent of the State who commits attacks on freedom of the press shall be punished with imprisonment up to three years or a fine. 3. Attempted attacks are punishable. 4. The criminal liability of the offender does not affect the right to compensation under the general liability regime. CHAPTER VIII PRESS COUNCIL Article 42 Nature and independence 1. The Press Council is an independent administrative entity and shall exercise its powers and duties without being subject to any guidelines or directions from political power. 2. The statute of the Press Council will be adopted by decree-law.