Conference “Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media” held on Thursday at Baku Excelsior Hotel under the auspices of the OSCE, IMS, IREX, IRFS and the Media Rights Institute, stated the serious threats that from the new initiatives of the Government of Azerbaijan for control of the media and the Internet.
It is noteworthy that the invited to the conference chairman of the Press Council, Aflatun Amashev, head of the public policy department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov and other authorities ignored the conference, and organized at the same time an alternative conference on a similar theme. At the event, Ali Hasanov denied evaluation and conclusions of international and local institutions about the poor state of media freedom in Azerbaijan. On the contrary, he argued that there is freedom of speech in the country and it is guarded by the state.
Both events were dedicated to the World Day to Protect Press, which is celebrated on May 3, and their parallel conducting means the watershed, which initiates the Administration of the President.
Head IRFS Emin Huseynov said that the conference in Excelsior was planned in advance and Ali Hasanov, like other officials until the very last moment did not refuse to participate in the event, and said nothing about the alternative conference.
Turan agency has not received a notification from the International Media Centre, which regularly informs about all the planned activities, told Mehman Aliyev, the Director of Turan Agency.
Under such a situation, the OSCE Ambassador Karay Torgay hastily had to take part in both events. In a conciliatory tone, he tried to remind the government of Azerbaijan on the obligations of OSCE to ensure freedom of expression, as well as their duty to respect and uphold the rights to freedom of expression.
This message was supported by U.S. Ambassador Richard Mornigstar, who stressed that the stability in the country goes through a free press and objective debate in society.
The EU Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Roland Kobia acknowledged that in Europe also many people do not like criticism, but everyone understands that the development of a free society requires diversity of views and expression.
The information presented by Azerbaijani experts in the field of freedom of expression and the media showed deterioration of situation over the past year. As an example, the expert Alasgar Mammedli called ruinous legal penalties against "Azadlig" and "Yeni Musavat", psychological and physical threats against journalists. "Since the beginning of the year there were 51 cases of attacks on journalists, and none of them was disclosed, although 93% of all crimes are revealed," he said.
On the issue of defamation, Director of Media Rights Institute, Rashid Hajili said that although since 2010 none journalist has not been formally arrested for professional activity, but prisons there are eight journalists on concocted charges of extortion, disorderly conduct, possession of drugs.
Particular attention was paid to the forthcoming adoption by the Parliament the amendments to the criminal and civil codes of punishment for damaging the honor and dignity on the Internet. This initiative demonstrates the government's consistent policy to destroy freedom of speech in Azerbaijan, said Emin Huseynov.
In conclusion, the conference participants called on the Azerbaijani authorities to put an end to the suppression of press freedom and the create conditions for the full and free development of the media in accordance with the Constitution and its international obligations. -0 -
Politics
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