Romania

[RO] CNA Bans Glorification of Totalitarian Regimes

IRIS 2005-6:1/35

Mariana Stoican

Journalist, Bucharest

In a decision which entered into force in mid-March 2005, the Consiliul Naţional al Audiovizualului (Romania's national broadcasting authority - CNA ) banned the glorification of crimes committed by totalitarian regimes or the defaming of the victims of such crimes.

Decision No. 204, published in the Romanian Official Gazette of 15 March 2005, is based on the premise that "certain historical truths, such as the crimes committed during the Nazi or Communist periods, may not be called into question". It strictly prohibits the trivialisation of the offences committed by totalitarian regimes, the portrayal of the perpetators in a positive light and the expression of disrepect for or defamation of the victims of such crimes in the audiovisual media. The term "glorification" is used in the decision to mean "the extolling of a person or idea, the obsequious or interested defence of a person or action". Under Article 90 of the Legea audiovizualului (Broadcasting Act No. 504/2002), broadcasters who break this rule will incur fines of betweenROL 50,000,000 and ROL 500,000,000, or after the re-evaluation of the Romanian currency from 1 July 2005, between RON 5,000 and RON 50,000.