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Libya lifts law banning Gaddafi glorification

Published time: June 14, 2012 22:34
Edited time: June 15, 2012 03:03
AFP Photo / Mahmud Turkia

Libya’s Supreme Court has annulled a law that criminalized praising late leader Muammar Gaddafi and his regime, following an outrage among civil groups and legal experts describing it as undemocratic.

On Thursday, court head Judge Kamal Bashir Dahan ruled that the new law, passed in May, Reuters reports.

"In the name of the people, the court has decided to accept the appeal of Law 37 of 2012 as it is unconstitutional," he said in a brief hearing.

Under that law, passed by the National Transitional Council, praising or glorifying the ousted Colonel Gaddafi was punishable by a prison sentence ranging from three to 15 years. The law also criminalized spreading news or information “harming the February 17 revolution.”

The Supreme Court agreed to review Law 37 after lawyer Saleh al-Marghani appealed it, saying it violated freedom of expression.

"This law is unconstitutional as it prevents freedom of speech. We are nearing elections and a basic step is to ensure there is freedom of speech," he said.

Democracy seems to be trailing in post-Gaddafi Libya, where those who toppled the strongman’s regime have appeared to deploy the same repressive tactics against their opponents.

Comments (29)

lee b (unregistered) 26.08.2012 15:08

shame shame libya was a free , vibrant, country whos leader was a freedom fighter, a real freedom fighter it said it all when the west slaughterd gaddaffi,the u.k alone spent 500 + 600 million on the murder of gaddafi but will make 30 +50 billion through deals from the cast of sesaeme street (puppets or muppetts either 1)thats what its about theft,rape and murder in the name of democracy

+1

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Freedom (unregistered) 17.06.2012 05:58

Gaddafi is a great man, a hero. Libya was the only African country with no debt. If Africa does the same as Gaddafi's man made underground river Africa is a green paradise. Do not forget that Obama killed Gaddafi to keep these kind of thing's a secret. Bad new's for Obama and the elite, there are 900 million Africans that now know how to make Africa better, thanks to Gaddafi. Soon they will again kick out western countries, like Gaddafi did 40 years ago. There is not a bigger hero than Gaddafi period.

+15

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3rdbasegeorge (unregistered) 16.06.2012 03:39

This is a good step for Libya.  The people must be allowed to breathe the chastity of Gaddafi's assertion that the World could not afford to denigrate the Russian Exchequer of the Two Tier Flat Tax Rate at the introduction of the time of His Matyrdom.  A plinth far above the easy contradiction between progressive tax rate alliances, Bahrain and the protestant assertion of Gaddafi's teasing of new gold standard, in emotional rhapsody with the Russian purvey.

+4

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View all comments (29)
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