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Azerbaijani official: National interests to play role in drafting of defamation law

Society Materials 6 September 2010 12:20 (UTC +04:00)
Media self regulation is not only a tool ensuring freedom of expression, but also for promoting professional journalist ethics, an official in the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration said today at an event on preserving freedom of expression through media self regulation.
Azerbaijani official: National interests to play role in drafting of defamation law

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 6 / Trend M.Aliyev /

Media self regulation is not only a tool ensuring freedom of expression, but also for promoting professional journalist ethics, an official in the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration said today at an event on preserving freedom of expression through media self regulation.

Vugar Aliyev, who runs a department in the administration, also noted that many media today are suffering financially.

Azerbaijan should take into account the country's interests while preparing such a law, he said.

"All proposals should be studied," Aliyev added.

A draft law on defamation was prepared in 2005 with the support of the OSCE Baku Office. The working group that prepared the draft included MPs Ganira Pashayeva and Azay Guliyev, media representatives and lawyers.

According to international organizations, articles in the Azerbaijani Criminal Code that envisage criminal responsibility for libel and insult should be excluded from the legislation.

Six media organizations asked parliament to adopt a law on defamation in 2009 - the Association of Azerbaijani Journalists, the Najaf Najafov Foundation, the Center for Journalism and Development, the Yeni Nesil Association of Journalists, and the Azerbaijani Media Center and Democratic Journalists League. Later about 400 media representatives joined the appeal. The draft law has been studied by the OSCE.

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