Human
rights news: May 2004
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12 May 2004 |
:: NEWS :: |
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2003 AIP survey reveals difficulties in access to information |
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The state institutions are deaf to oral requests for information from individuals. State officials prefer the long bureaucratic procedure that provides for written requests under the Access to Information Act, says a report of the Access to Information Program on the state of public information in 2003. During an experiment in the central authorities where 34 attempts were made to receive oral information, 22 could not be performed, 4 were answered, while 8 were rejected. Not a single minority representative taking part in the experiment received information. Out of 66 filed written requests, 11 were rejected, while 18 remained unanswered. According to the report, the large number of silent refusals points to the lack of administrative control over the responsibilities and the meager fines (ranging between 10 and 25 Euro) for state officials who have failed to answer requests for information. The administration also uses the procedure of written applications as a sanction against journalists who are in a hurry to receive information. The Access to Information Program received 657 complaints in 2003. In
410 cases the requested information was refused, with a significant share
of unmotivated refusals. The program lawyers have filed 29 lawsuits. |