Prosecutor General's Office against freedom of speech?

Baku/02.02.22/Turan: Recently, there have been reports in the media that users of social networks and journalists are summoned to the Prosecutor General's Office, warned, prosecuted, fined and sentenced to administrative arrests. A group of social network users faced the same situation on January 24. On the same day, the Prosecutor General's Office reported that social media users Mirzali Yalchin Yashar oglu Huseynov Ilham Telman, Abbasli Nizami Asadulla oglu Isaev Afgan Anvar oglu and Azadov Rasim Alif oglu were warned in accordance with Article 21 of the Law on the Prosecutor's Office. These people have been warned for sharing on social media.

At the same time, journalist Sahavat Mammad and Jamaz.info editor Fikret Faramazoglu were fined 500 manats each. On February 3, the Nasimi District Court will consider the claim of the Prosecutor General's Office against Azermedia LLC.

What is going on? Does the Prosecutor General's Office act as a "censor"?

Khalid Agaliyev, head of the media rights group, answers these and other questions in the “Difficult Question” program.

According to him, over the past 2 months, 20 social activists, social network users and journalists were invited to the General Prosecutor's Office, where they were warned about the inadmissibility of their thoughts.

“Many of them were charged with an administrative offense and sent to the courts. Most of the cases sent to the courts are cases against journalists. The courts ruled to fine these journalists, and one of them was placed under administrative arrest. This is the general picture,” Agaliyev said.

According to the expert, from the point of view of domestic justice, the prosecutor's office is endowed with such a right. “If the prosecutor's office, after conducting an investigation, finds nuances in the disseminated information that threaten public safety, i.e. calls that incite hatred or enmity, calls for violence, then it can invite people making such calls and warn them in this regard,” Agaliev said, adding that in 2017 the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Information, Informatization and Information Protection" has been amended to restrict freedom of expression. Later, in accordance with these changes, changes were made to the Code of Administrative Offenses. In a word, the national legislation allows to restrict fundamental freedoms.

“The purpose of such interventions is to intimidate, to silence,” the expert concluded.--0--