N.Kroes: Comparison of the Parliament with the zoo is a normal phenomenon

The Internet is an important tool for the development of democracy,  and governments must ensure freedom of expression on the Internet, said  Vice-President of the European Commission for  electronic agenda, Neelie Kroes, who is in Baku in connection with the Global Forum on Internet Governance at a press conference

Kroes said that on Wednesday morning  she met with President Ilham Aliyev and had long and  open discussion with him. She expressed satisfaction that the President and the Minister of Communications  work intensively  on the development of digital technology.

"I stressed the importance of free access to the Internet. The president said that in Azerbaijan Internet completely free," said Kroes. However,  in  her view,  much should be done in this sphere. 

The EU will support Azerbaijan in fulfilling its international obligations in the field of Internet and freedom of expression. "We support the development of television to the Internet, and pluralistic media," said Kroes.  According to Kroes, Ilham Aliyev told her that in the future, Azerbaijan will open a new Internet TV.

Kroes stressed that freedom of expression, assembly, thought imply that for this freedom people should not be punished, and  people should not fear for their expressions. If people are afraid, then it is an imitation of democracy, she said.

On the eve of the forum many local and international organizations called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release the detained journalists and Internet activists. Did  Kroes discuss these issues with President Aliyev? Answering this question she said that she was going to visit some political prisoners noted in the lists of the human rights organizations. However, contrary to the promises of the President, it was not allowed. In her letter to the president on the visit she paid attention to the problem of the detained journalists and Internet activists.

On the issue of decriminalization of defamation, Kroes stressed that democratic freedoms are universal, and  it is unfounded to state that do it  is too early.

She also expressed the attitude  to the attempts of  some  deputies to sue  the  analyst Ilgar Mamedov  because he compared Parliament  with the "zoo." According to Kroes in a democratic society  it is a normal phenomenon.

"If the European Parliament would be compared with the zoo, none of deputies  would bother and would not require punishment. On the contrary, they would begin discussions to determine the reasons why the European Parliament  is compared with the zoo," said Kroes.—06D—