Don't get involved - Leps will kill you!

The State Duma is planning to amend the Civil Code to tighten the liability of the media for disclosing personal information about citizens without their consent, as well as for illegal entry into a home. The protection of personal rights in the information sphere was discussed at an extended meeting of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy. In addition to the deputies, singers Stas Mikhailov, Grigory Leps and Valery Meladze, as well as media representatives, took part in it.

“The State Duma is currently discussing changes to the Civil Code, which regulates issues related to intangible rights, including issues of protecting honor and dignity, copyrights and intellectual property,” State Duma Deputy Chairman Sergei Zheleznyak said at the meeting. According to the deputy, the discussion is being conducted in several directions at once, including along the path of revising the boundaries of permissible self-defense: “If a journalist with a camera gets in, you should be able to expel him. If the person is with a weapon, then you, having a legally registered hunting rifle, should be able to defend yourself without waiting for him to kill or injure one of your relatives."

Experts on the protection of personal rights at the meeting were singers Stas Mikhailov, Grigory Leps and Valery Meladze, who complained of repeated harassment by the paparazzi. However, as noted by lawyer Alexandra Nikolaeva, who voiced the general legal position of the artists, existing legislation makes it possible to protect the rights of citizens, and the artists are not asking for its changes, but only for its implementation. “I wouldn’t want what’s happening today (the council meeting - editor’s note) to be linked to any bills or any events taking place in the country,” Valery Meladze told PublicPost. “We managed to spontaneously (gather and discuss the problem of protecting privacy - editor's note). There just came a moment when we were just fed up with everything and, obviously, not only us." Grigory Leps, using the podium, threatened the paparazzi with extrajudicial reprisals if they illegally entered his home: “It could end in tears. We are impulsive people. I really ask each and every one of those so-called journalists, I don’t want to use another word. I’ll break you physically. Please don’t put me in prison.”

On the eve of the committee meeting, Pavel Krasheninnikov, Chairman of the Duma Committee on Civil, Criminal, Arbitration and Procedural Legislation, announced the upcoming changes to the Civil Code. The deputy, according to information from Gazeta.Ru , proposes to generally prohibit the collection of even reliable information without the consent of a citizen: “Unless otherwise expressly provided by law, the collection, storage, distribution and use of any information about his private life, including information about his origin, place of stay or residence, personal and family life, as well as other facts that occurred in relation to such a citizen.”

“There should be no wording that would allow the law to be used in a completely different way,” Interfax representative Oksana Kovalenko said at the committee meeting. According to Kovalenko, the danger of adopting the amendments is that, along with unscrupulous journalists pursuing artists, both business and socio-political publications that disclose insider information or engage in anti-corruption investigations may suffer: “We are disclosing information that is certainly important for society. Many are unhappy with this and can’t wait to see provisions in the law that will allow them to come to us and say: “Remove the room,” “Remove the news.”

According to Sergei Zheleznyak, the amendments, if introduced to the State Duma, will not affect conscientious journalists. “Any information that is reliable can and should be reflected in the media. This is the meaning of the existence of the media. Any objective information, but there must be responsibility for lies. If you have sources and can confirm this and then prove it in court - act boldly. And if only words are not enough,” the deputy told PublicPost.