Bratislava - Slovak dailies Friday resumed a protest against a new restrictive press law that publishers, journalists and human rights advocates view as a threat to press freedom.

The newspapers ran identical front-page messages in the form of an obituary notice in protest of the law, which - if approved by president - would introduce expansive rights to reply to published articles.

"Parliament passed a press law that represents a crude interference with press freedom and editorial independence," read the message, appealing on the president, the Constitutional Court and international institutions.

Lawmakers for the leftist government of Prime Minister Robert Fico passed the bill Wednesday defeating the right-wing opposition, which had waged a high-stakes battle over the disputed bill.

The opposition lawmakers had tried to press Fico into dropping all contentious provisions by boycotting ratification of the European Union reform treaty since January.

On Thursday, however, ethnic Hungarian lawmakers broke opposition ranks and helped Fico to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, which overhauls institutions for the enlarged 27-member bloc.

The national newspapers first protested the law, which has been also criticized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, two weeks ago.

They then turned their front pages into a protest for the first time since the authoritarian rule of former prime minister Vladimir Meciar, who led the country into isolation in 1990s.

Premier Fico has often clashed with the media since his rise to power in 2006, accusing them of siding with the opposition.

Law's critics now hope that President Ivan Gasparovic or the Constitutional Court will strike it down. (dpa)