A group of independent journalists and media organizations of Azerbaijan discussed in the CE’s Baku office with the Experts of the Venice Commission the situation with the bill on defamation.
The bill was initiated by the local office of the OSCE, and was submitted to the parliament by the Press Council more than a year ago, as suggested the Administration of Azerbaijani President.
A bill to decriminalize defamation, was devised in accordance with the standards of the European Court of Human Rights. The amount of penalty proposed in the court is within three months' salary of the journalist, that meets international standards.
Three years earlier, in October 2009, a similar bill was prepared by the journalistic organization "Yeni Nesil", and was submitted to parliament on behalf of six media organizations by a deputy group, including: Jamil Hasanli, Vahid Ahmadov, Fazil Gazanfaroglu and Sabir Rustamkhanli. However, this document has not been brought up for discussion.
Last year, representatives of the civil society of the country called on President Ilham Aliyev to ensure the adoption of the law, but the presidential administration opposes the law. Head of the Social and Political Department, Ali Hasanov, regularly makes statements against decriminalization legislation.
He likes to repeat that the adoption of such a law is impossible because of low level of professionalism of journalists. According to him, journalists themselves become victims of violence from offended readers.
Meanwhile, in the last four years against the requirements of international organizations to decriminalize defamation, the authorities have imprisoned journalists on charges of "hooliganism" and "illegal possession of drugs."
Traditionally, the courts fine the opposition media large sums for their economic suffocation.
According to the international organization "Reporters without Borders", Azerbaijan ranks 162nd in the "Press Freedom Index 2011-2012." -0 –
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