The state is obliged to create conditions for the free activity of a media lawyer

Baku/13.01.21/Turan: The task of the state is to create conditions for the free media activity, said media law expert Khalid Agaliyev, commenting on the creation of the Media Development Agency.

“The state has obligations to provide conditions for  the free media activity. For example, TV and radio frequencies should be equally accessible to everyone. Print media should be freely distributed throughout the country. The availability of publicly significant information should be ensured. If a structure is created that effectively fulfills all these goals, then this will be in line with the country's international obligations. Any structure should not restrict the freedom of the media, not control them.

Unfortunately, there has been such a practice in Azerbaijan until now, the structures in this area were aimed at curbing the media, maintaining control over them,” Agaliyev said.

Speaking about the powers of the new Agency to impose administrative penalties, Agaliyev said that these powers, as well as the powers to develop media are vague, how it will be implemented; it will become known when it will be applied in practice.

“In general, it is controversial to give some kind of structure to punish journalists when there are courts,” he said and added that legislative mechanisms to protect journalists are not working.

Therefore, according to the law, the owners of socially significant information may be subject to administrative responsibility for refusing to provide it. However, this provision of the law has never been applied. At the same time, Agaliyev expressed the hope that the bad practice will be left behind and the new structure will be engaged not in restricting the media, but in expanding its capabilities. — 1606D-