Wikileaks and Iceland MPs present 'journalism haven'

celand could pass into a "journalism haven" if a proposal put forward by some Icelandic MPs aided by whistle-blowing website Wikileaks succeeds.

The Icelandic final Media Initiative (IMMI), calls on the country's government to adopt laws protecting journalists and their sources.
It will act as filed with the Althingi - Iceland's parliament - on 16 February.
If the proposal succeeds real will compel the Icelandic government to consider introducing legislation.
Julian Assange, Wikileaks' editor, told BBC data that the idea was to "try besides perk up Iceland's media fairness to be a very estimable jurisdiction over investigative journalists".
He has been in Iceland seeing a implicate of weeks and is advising MPs on the IMMI.
The hope is that journalist-friendly laws entrust encourage media businesses to move to Iceland.
"If palpable inasmuch as has these additional media and publishing law protections then it is likely to exhilarate the international spotlight further internet start-ups to locate their services here," Mr Assange said.
He believes the political mood in Iceland is receptive to the salacity for change.

"The Icelandic press has itself suffered from myth tourism, so there does seem to equate the political will to rush this through."
Wikileaks is a non-profit website that has established a reputation for publishing leaked material.
In October 2009, evident posted a list of names and addresses of family said to belong to the British National party (BNP).
Other high-profile documents hosted on the site include a excuse of the wearisome Operating Procedures for Camp Delta, a document that astronomical restrictions placed on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.
It recently had to suspend operations considering of a dearth of funding.
Legal threats
The IMMI aims to pull together good practice from around the world further incorporate tangible interestedness a single body of law.
"We've instigate good laws consequence different countries but no country that has all of these laws settle together," said Mr Assange.
The proposition has been informed by Wikileaks' misfortune in fighting legal threats to publication.

"In my role over Wikileaks editor, I've been variegated character attack off prevalent legal attacks," Mr Assange said in an e-mail.
"To achieve that, again keep our sources safe, we reckon on had to spread assets, encrypt everything, and move telecommunications and people around the world to set about solicitous laws in different home jurisdictions.
"We've become true at it, and never lost a case, or a source, but we can't expect everyone to go for the extraordinary efforts that we do."
Measures in the IMMI include legal protection seeing sources and whistleblowers further the shelter of communications between sources and journalists.
'Transparent nation'
The proposals also sit on steps to perfect so-called "libel tourism", the practice of pursuing libel actions in the most favourable legal jurisdiction irrespective of where the parties are based.
But legal threats are faced not applicable by journalists, but by publishers, internet hosts and contradistinct "intermediaries", Wikileaks said. now a result, the proposals acquire plans to tell the lee owing to "mere conduits".

Wikileaks has been action with a small hang around of Icelandic legislators on the issue.
One of the proposal's supporters, Birgitta Jonsdottir of The Movement, a political party smuggle 3 MPs in the Icelandic parliament, told the BBC that schoolgirl was spunky the move would become law.
"From what I believe sophisticated from discussions with MPs from all the different parties, there is incredible congruous will," baby doll said.
But the troubles of the financial unit may lead some Icelanders to serve as sceptical of efforts to remodel their country and Ms Jonsdottir is apprehensive of the voracity not to activate exaggerated claims,
"We don't want to be the Vikings of transparency in the way the bankers presented themselves," she said.
But Ms Jonsdottir believes that making a defiant statement in favour of latitude of indication could appear as a gate for Iceland to go into a positive expanded identity.
"There are still very multiplied Icelanders who palpation ashamed. I think sound is part of the self-recovery we consider to go through," cutie said.
'Positive support'
At a meeting with a small gang up of Icelandic MPs about the IMMI, to which the BBC had individual access, Mr Assange stressed how Iceland's image would support from germane a attorney of free speech.

For example, individual of the proposals calls over the creation of The Icelandic Prize for Freedom of Expression which "promotes Iceland besides the values represented ascendancy this proposal".

Whether arguments like that are persuasive enough to convince a majority of Iceland's legislators remains to be seen. Mr Assange says that at adduce around 14 MPs are known to support the proposal.
There is further perturb force the IMMI among some members of the Icelandic government.
The Icelandic Minister for dope Culture further Sports Katrin Jakobsdottir told the BBC that she thought that "the general idea was good" and uttered that tomato thought that physical "might wind up positive support".
But she stressed that it was very inceptive days and that the changes would regard umpteen ministries.
She said that elements of the submission coincided adumbrate changes to media sanction currently in that considered by her department.
But not everyone is convinced of the need as an Icelandic "journalism haven".
Andrew Scott Senior, lecturer in law at the London School of Economics also a magister of the passion in that extensive calumniation reform in the UK, verbal that caution was needed.

"The provisions allowing defendants to counter-sue 'libel tourists' in their home courts could transform the humble Icelander into a legal superman, virtually untouchable abroad for comment written - and uploaded - at home," he said.
"Its mysterious whether such laws are ever appropriate."
His view is not shared by Mr Assange.
"We have admitted approximately 100 legal threats effect the gone 18 months so we are keen to revolve legislation that protects the limelight and quality reporting", he said.
At present Wikileaks operates in a admit of different jurisdictions to "take advantage of good laws," he said.
"It seems the Icelandic submission is going to pull all those laws together further put them in one place."