Comedia calls for more media freedom in Switzerland

On May 3, 2006, Press Freedom Day, the media union Comedia is calling for more media freedom in Switzerland. Journalists who publish secrets and confidential information from politics and administration should no longer be punished. In particular, Comedia is calling for the abolition of Article 293 of the Criminal Code and the corresponding Article 106 of the Military Criminal Code. To this end, the Federal Council and Parliament are being asked to support Josef Lang's motion to repeal Article 293 of the Criminal Code. The journalistic betrayal of secrets is not a criminal offense, but a job. Comedia is supported in this request by the journalists' organization Impressum and the Federal Chancellery recently made a similar proposal.
The union is also calling for a new collective labor agreement for media professionals in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino, as well as concrete improvements to the framework conditions and working conditions of journalists and photographers. In addition, there is the demand for binding recognition of press and BR ID cards for the security forces.