Azerbaijan, Baku, May 22 / Trend , A. Huseynbala/
There is divergence of opinion among members of the Azerbaijani parliament whether to bring Bill on Defamation for discussions in the parliament.
"I am not an advocate of making journalists criminally accountable. So I think this bill must not be adopted," MP Elmira Akhundova told Trend .
The Bill on Defamation was prepared with the support of OSCE and by MPs Ganira Pashayeva, Azay Guliyev, representatives of journalist organizations and lawyers in 2005.
International organizations say the articles 147 (slander) and 148 (insult) envisaging criminal responsibility must be withdrawn from the Penal Code.
Akhundova said any journalist can make mistake and abuse authority. "Therefore I want journalists to be freed from criminal responsibility. However, instead of possible application of administrative punishment, the very media outlet can be closed," she said.
"I strongly oppose discussions on Bill of Defamation in the parliament," MP and chairman of Adalat party Ilyas Ismayilov told Trend .
He said international organizations' urging Azerbaijani government to adopt this bill is not understandable.
"Some European states say that human rights must be protected," he said. "The core of human right norms is dignity of a man. Can man's dignity be protected?"
There is no any material equivalent to human dignity, Ismayilov said. "So, discussions on Bill on Defamation contradicts human rights and it would be a great mistake to adopt this law," he said.
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