Baku / 26.12.18 / Turan: The outgoing 2018 year in the field of freedom of media and expression was characterized by two trends - the spread of abuse, insults, libel and pressure from law enforcement agencies on journalists in the information space, said the director of the Turan news agency Mehman Aliyev in an interview with the Azerbaijani service of Voice of America.According to him, obscene language, insults have already come to the fore and flooded the informed space.Earlier there were separate manifestations of such negatives, now they do not fit into any framework.
The second trend is the open use of law enforcement agencies as an instrument of pressure on journalists and participants in the information space.Journalists, social network activists are under pressure, summoned to the prosecutor's office, police, special services, are being detained, etc.
"We see that neither the Press Council nor the Public Policy Department of the Presidential Administration are involved with journalists, and these powers are delegated to law enforcement agencies.
Of course, this policy is primarily aimed at silencing journalists, intimidating participants in the information space, developing self-censorship, and limiting information flows, exchanging information and opinions. According to the press freedom index, Azerbaijan is among non-free countries. It is necessary to change policies and, at least, to be among the partially free countries. It is necessary to put an end to the practice of law enforcement interference in information policy. Media and the authorities need to start a dialogue.It is necessary to establish normal relations and conduct a dialogue not only with the media, but in general with all participants in the information space. There is no alternative to this,"said Aliyev.
Commenting on the sad statistics of the arrested journalists, according to which Azerbaijan is among the leaders in Europe, Aliyev noted that the authorities do not want the media and in general participants of the information space to exercise any control over its actions, monitor the behavior of officials and politicians, evaluate them.
"This is a closed system and, of course, it is not interested in a free information flow," said Aliyev.In order for the media freedom situation to be consistent with international freedoms, it is necessary to ensure the freedom of media and information.Political will is needed to form normal, healthy relationships.
"The authorities must understand that we must finally abandon the traditional long-standing policy of pressure on the media, which, on the one hand, attempts to bribe it, donate apartments, finance with dirty money, and on the other, control with truncheons, pressure from law enforcement agencies. It is necessary to build relations with the media, as in the whole civilized world through dialogue. If this happens, there will be neither arrested journalists in Azerbaijan, nor a campaign of dirty PR, and normal, healthy relations will be formed,"the director of Turan concluded. -06D-
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