Instead of decriminalizing defamation, the Azerbaijani leadership "to spite the enemy" has introduced a similar punishment for speaking in the Internet, reads an interview with Rashid Hajily , the Director of the Institute of Objective TV Media Rights.
Hasty adoption by parliament of amendments to Article 147 (defamation) and 148 (insult) of the Criminal Code that restrict freedom of speech on the Internet, caused serious concerns in the international arena, as the country's president recently promised to decriminalize defamation.
According to Hajily, it is blatant disregard of obligations to the international community. The National Program of Action for Strengthening the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, adopted in 2012, clearly stated the need to adopt a law "On defamation".
Ilham Aliyev speak about the same of this at a meeting with the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic. The draft law of this law, signed by the president was sent last year for examination to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. Therefore, distancing from these promises can be explained by the chaotic mood of the authorities.
Hajily believes that the chaos in the "top" was caused by the activation of the public in the virtual resources on the background of universal human rights and freedoms. Before the presidential elections I October, the authorities are not sure of their victory, and for that reason it was decided to stop the criticism and the Internet.
Absurd proposal to terminate access to Facebook were made in parliament. However, to deny access to the World Wide Web is impossible because today all governments are connected through the Internet.
The best way out for the country's authorities is to listen to the voice of the public, to make reforms, to show interest in their implementation, to defuse the censorship, stop bullying active young people, said Hajily. --17D—
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