Eight to privacy 162. With reference to that issue, members of the Committee wished to know whether investigations into cases of unlawful opening of correspondence, telephone-tapping and bugging had taken place; whether any criminal or disciplinary measures had been taken against those found guilty; what measures had been taken to eliminate such devices and the recurrence of such practices; and whether telephone-tapping and bugging, if permitted, had been legalized by the Police Act of 1990. 163. In reply, the representative of the State party said that police activities such as telephone-tapping and bugging were subject to severe restrictions and could be authorized only by the Minister of Justice or at the request of the Minister of the Interior. An inquiry into the cases of telephone-tapping and bugging referred to in the report had been discontinued when it was learned that these devices had not been used. Bugging devices had also been discovered on the premises used by Solidarity during the 1989 presidential election. Following a special appeal made by the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court had overruled the decision by a district court to close the proceedings and the case was to be reviewed. Freedom of religion and expression 164. In connection with that issue, members of the Committee wished to know the legal restrictions, invoked on grounds of public safety, order, health or morals, or the rights and freedoms of others, that had been placed on individuals or groups in expressing their religious beliefs; the length of community service as compared to the length of military service; the progress achieved with regard to the implementation of the rights and freedoms provided for under article 19 of the Covenant, in particular in the light of the reform of the Penal Code and the criminal law; developments related to the implementation of the Press Act as amended by the Act of 11 April 1990; and whether the fact that the Press Act was now in force meant that inciting others to commit offences or praising others for having committed offences was prohibited. 165. Members of the Committee also wished to know what control, if any, was exercised by the Government on television broadcasting; to what extent authorities were obligated to provide information being sought by a citizen; whether Catholicism had been accorded a special status as the State religion or if all faiths were on an equal footing; and whether the importation of foreign publications or the activities of foreign correspondents were in any way restricted. 166. In reply, the representative of the State party said that there were no restrictions on religious belief or worship or on associations formed for that purpose. Acts of parliament had been prepared or adopted in relation to a number of churches, such as the Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelical Churches, particularly in cases where church property had been nationalized earlier. Catholicism, which was not a State religion, accounted for 90 per cent of the population, with 65 other registered religious communities accounting for the remaining 10 per cent. Military service at present lasted 24 months and community service 36 months, although measures already adopted would change that to 18 months and 24 months, respectively. Regarding the -37-