Albanian Premier Edi Rama has gone beyond the wildest imagination in his urge to punish anyone that does not share his opinion, especially the opponent media. Now he is trying to stop and punish even the internet users that post memes in the social networks.

Being unable to make the changes in the Law on Media he had thought of, he has decided to include them in the new Criminal Code, ideated and prepared by Minister of Justice Etilda Gjoni.

The Minister proposes one year of imprisonment term for author of the memes of one person without receiving first their permission to use their image in the meme!

According to the draft of the Ministry of Justice, the offenders can be punished with an imprisonment term of one year.

Specifically, Article 238 of the draw states that:

1. The publication in any form, manner or means of a montage made with the words or image of a person without his consent, whether it is carried out for the purpose of material or immaterial gain, or when it is intended to damage the reputation of a person, when the material does not appear to be a montage or, unless expressly stated, is a criminal offense and punishable by up to 1 year in prison.

2. The criminal prosecution begins with the complaint of the victim or her legal representative and ends with her withdrawal.

Explaining this law overlaid with terminology is simple. The government plans to pass a law in the Assembly, which will sentence anyone who dares to make memes in the network to prison.

It seems that Minister Gjonaj does not like the memes of the network, which until today, have helped Albanians to take with humor and sportsmanship the abuses that politics does to them. Without arguing for any reason the need for this law, without legally dividing the fact whether this article violates the right and freedom of expression, the government will make a law where all creators of memes will have to get permission from the Prime Minister and ministers, before publishing them, otherwise the prison door awaits them.