“Enough work has been done in the area of political pluralism, and freedom of speech and the press,” said Ali Hasanov, right, head of “Trend News”, Azerbaijan Presidential Executive Administration’s Socio-political Department. Hasanov further noted that total press pluralism has been restored in Azerbaijan, and that there is no censorship on the press. Mass media are freely published and distributed, he concluded.
“We don’t accept these kinds of notions. No matter who – the OSCE, European Union or other international organization – prepared these reports; we do not accept the notions noted there,” added Hasanov.
Besides, on 15 September, at the initiative of the Baku office of the OSCE, a seminar was hosted for journalists on “Defamation in the OSCE space: legislation and experience”. According to APA, OSCE Department head Monica Makovey said that the failure to adopt the law “on Defamation” creates limitations on journalists’ ability to convey information.
According to Makovey, journalists must know that the information they present will not have criminal repercussions, so that journalists are not afraid to present information. She noted that not only is freedom of expression envisaged in the international legislation, but it is also envisaged in Azerbaijan’s own Constitution.
