Celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act
By Mariam Chanishvili
Wednesday, July 13
A celebratory event was held for the 250th anniversary of the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act, the first in the world, with the original declaration being translated and published in Georgian. The Ambassador of Sweden, H.E. Martina Quick and the Ambassador of Finland, H.E. Christer Muchelsson delivered speeches and welcomed the guests.
In 1759, the Swedish scholar, explorer and philosopher Peter Forsskal published a pamphlet calling for civil liberties. The pamphlet, called Thoughts on Civil Liberty, was immediately banned and those who were found to have a copy of it in their home had to pay a fine. Nevertheless, the text did circulate and became an important inspiration for the Swedish Freedom of the Press Act, which was adopted in 1766.
