OSCE Representative on Media Freedom Miklos Haraszti is on his visit in Baku. He presented the “Media Self-Regulation Guidebook” in the International Press Center and said that it is the first time such a book has been published and it is only being presented in Azerbaijan. (13-APR-08)

Written by Shahla Ismayilova / HRH Azerbaijan on the basis of materials from IRFS, OSCE, photos by IRFS

Haraszti said, “The press shouldn’t belong to government. The journalists themselves should stand as guards of the press. The government is not obligated to protect the press. What the government can do is liberalize legislation and decriminalize defamation.”

The OSCE representative emphasized that there is no absolutely responsible mass media in the world, but commercial media does exist. Haraszti added, “Lately, we have been monitoring issues related to freedom of speech. We are very concerned about the arrests of journalists. The journalists should not be arrested because of their professional mistakes.”

Press Council Chairman Aflatun Amashov said in his speech that he believes an Ombudsman for the media will be created. According to him, it is not reasonable to demand that the press be totally free from responsibility. 

“Yeni Musavat” Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Rauf Arifoglu said that the situation of the press in Azerbaijan is very difficult. “Although I have always faced difficulties and was arrested a number of times, I had never before felt this hopeless. The Azerbaijani media is being destroyed in front of the whole world. There are only 2 or 3 newspapers that are truly independent” he said.

Visit to the prison
On 8 April OSCE Representative on Media Freedom Miklos Haraszti, his advisor Anna Karlsreiter, OSCE Baku Office Deputy Chairman Alexis Shahtakhtinski, OSCE Baku Office Human Rights Department Head Andres Bush and Chairman of the Committee Against Torture Elchin Behbudov visited two imprisoned journalists. They met with “Azadlig” Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Ganimat Zahid in Bayil Prison #1 and “Azadlig” Newspaper satiric/journalist Sakit Zahidov in Prison #14.

“I consider the situation of free media and the situation of the state media a situation that is creating serious trouble,” OSCE Special Representative on Media Freedom Miklos Haraszti stated during a press conference he conducted on 9 April on the results of his visit to Azerbaijan. Haraszti stated that he has three calls regarding the area of media in Azerbaijan, “My first call is to the mass media, my second is to law enforcement agencies and my third to the Azerbaijani government.”