The Government of the Republic of Serbia has charged the COVID-19 crisis response team for the control of infectious disease, i.e. the Prime Minister at the helm of the crisis response team and the persons authorized by the crisis response team, for informing the public about the condition and consequences of the infection (http://www.pravno-informacionisistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/zakljucak/2020/48/1/reg).
Mayors, heads of municipalities and crisis response teams of local self-government units, by the same act of the Government, are tasked with routing any information regarding the COVID-19 situation and consequences exclusively to the central crisis response team, which will ensure that necessary checks are carried out and appropriate measures taken to secure that public has been informed in a timely manner and accurately.
At the same time, healthcare institutions, healthcare professionals and legal entities engaged in healthcare are obliged to submit medical information with regards to the measures they implement, to the competent public health institute that shall forward such information to the central crisis response team.
At the same time, it is stipulated that statements on health measures taken and other information related to the treatment of COVID-19 disease, given to the public by unauthorized persons, cannot be considered accurate and verified, thus allowing for sanctioning in accordance with the regulations relating to liability and legal consequences for the dissemination of misinformation during the state of emergency.
The Government’s act concerns media freedoms and freedom of expression, and departs from previous claims of transparency during the state of emergency and with regards to the measures taken in its course, and therefore is a serious precedent. Although it is clear that freedom of expression may be restricted, inter alia if it is necessary for the protection of public health, to the extent necessary in a democratic society and without prejudice to the substance of the guaranteed right. It is clear that the Republic of Serbia is going through a period in which public health is seriously threatened. The question is, however, whether this level of restraint was really necessary.
As much as the Government states that the aim of the measure is to provide citizens with only verified and accurate information, it is difficult to believe that the crisis response team in Belgrade is in a better position to check the accuracy of information originating from the local authorities, than the local crisis response teams or health institutions themselves. Also, by waiting for additional checks to be performed by the central crisis response team, publication of relevant information shall be delayed, instead of provided to the public in a timely manner.
Such a measure will leave the media without relevant local sources, as well as without relevant local voices, such as those of health workers and local politicians, who could confirm or deny information coming from the field, since such sources and interlocutors are now obliged by the Government to direct information exclusively to the central crisis response team or public health institutes. And should the media lack relevant sources and interlocutors, they will neither be able to inform nor to rebuff the misinformation that we are all witnessing, regardless of government measures. And it’s certainly not good.
Also, the wording of the Government’s act leaves a possibility that the media and journalists are to be held responsible for dissemination of misinformation in the event that the interlocutor (as an independent expert) comments on measures undertaken by the Government during a pandemic, which completely paralyzes the dialogue on the currently most important topic in the country.
Zaključak Vlade o obaveštavanju javnosti o stanju i posledicama zaraze
Vlada Republike Srbije zadužila je Krizni štab za suzbijanje zarazne bolesti COVID-19, odnosno predsednicu Vlade koja je na čelu Kriznog štaba, ili lica koje Krizni štab ovlasti, za obaveštavanje javnosti o stanju i posledicama zaraze (http://www.pravno-informacioni-sistem.rs/SlGlasnikPortal/eli/rep/sgrs/vlada/zakljucak/2020/48/1/reg).
Gradonačelnici, odnosno predsednici opština i štabovi za vanredne situacije jedinica lokalne samouprave, istim zaklјučkom, zaduženi su da sve informacije u vezi stanja i posledica COVID-19 usmeravaju isklјučivo ka Kriznom štabu, koji će obezbediti da se izvrše neophodne provere i preduzmu odgovarajuće mere na pravovremenom i tačnom informisanju javnosti.
Istovremeno, zdravstvene ustanove, zdravstveni radnici ili pravna lica koje obavlјaju zdravstvenu delatnost, medicinske informacije isklјučivo u delu mera koje sami sprovode, obavezani su da dostavlјaju nadležnom zavodu, odnosno institutu za javno zdravlјe, koje te informacije dalјe usmeravaju ka Kriznom štabu.
Istovremeno, propisano je da se obaveštenja o preduzetim zdravstvenim merama i drugim informacijama koje se odnose na lečenje bolesti COVID-19, data javnosti od strane neovlašćenih lica, ne mogu smatrati tačnim i proverenim, uz mogućnost primene propisa koji se odnose na odgovornost i pravne posledice za širenje dezinformacija u periodu vanrednog stanja.
Zaklјučak Vlade tiče se medijskih sloboda i slobode izražavanja, odstupa od dosadašnjih navoda o transparentnosti vanrednog stanja i mera koje se u njegovom toku donose i predstavlja ozbiljan presedan. Nije sporno da se sloboda izražavanja može ograničiti, između ostalog i ako je to neophodno radi zaštite javnog zdravlјa, u obimu neophodnom u demokratskom društvu i bez zadiranja u suštinu zajemčenog prava. Nije sporno ni da Republika Srbija prolazi kroz period u kome je javno zdravlјe ozbilјno ugroženo. Pitanje je, međutim, da li je ovoliki obim ograničenja zaista bio neophodan.
Koliko god Vlada navodi da je cilј mere da građani dobiju isklјučivo proverene i tačne informacije, teško je poverovati da je Krizni štab u Beogradu u bolјoj poziciji da obezbedi neophodne provere tačnosti informacija koje dolaze sa lokala, od samih lokalnih kriznih štabova ili zdravstvenih ustanova. Takođe, time što se informacije, pored provere na izvoru, proveravaju i u republičkom kriznom štabu, njihovo objavlјivanje se odlaže, što ozbilјno dovodi u pitanje pravovremenost informisanja javnosti.
Klјučni problem ovakve mere je što će medije ostaviti bez izvora sa lokala, odnosno bez relevantnih sagovornika, pre svega zdravstvenih radnika i lokalnih političara, koji bi mogli da potvrde ili demantuju informacije koje stižu sa terena, budući da su takvi izvori i sagovornici sada zaklјučkom obavezani da informacije usmeravaju isklјučivo ka Kriznom štabu, odnosno zavodima za javno zdravlje. A ako mediji nemaju relevantne izvore i sagovornike, neće moći ni da informišu, niti pak da demantuju dezinformacije koje se, svi smo svedoci, šire bez obzira na mere vlade. I to svakako nije dobro.
Takodje, sam Zaključak ostavlja veoma opasnu mogućnost da bi mediji i novinari mogli odgovarati za širenje dezinformacija i u slučaju da sagovornik (u svojstvu nezavisnog eksperta, gradjanina, političara, medicinskog radnika i sl.) komentariše postojeća rešenja koja država preduzima u toku pandemije, što u potpunosti parališe dijalog o trenutno najvažnijoj temi u državi.