During the today`s (September 20) sitting of the Milli Majlis , MP Asim Mollazadeh, Chairman of the Party of Democratic Reforms has expressed his attitude toward the growing tensions between officials and media, the press-service of the Party told Trend.
The public of the country is concerned about the growing tensions between officials and media. A number of trials, journalists` arrests affect the international image of the country. The state instances` raising an issue concerning the building where the newspaper Azadlig is situated, shutting a number of the country's leading papers, bringing law suits against journalists will make us to investigate all the above-mentioned in the Human Rights Parliamentary Commission. I think that the Parliament is ought to take more serious measures in this direction, said Mr. Mollazadeh.
According to the MP, it is necessary to mark two important issues in this problem. First, the officials should treat the media's criticism to their address more patiently, secondly, it is necessary to determine the Ethics Code of the Azerbaijani Mass Media. Frankly speaking, one can often see publications containing a strict insult. The parliament should work out the Mass Media Ethics Code to prevent insulting people. On the other hand, laws on information should determine the responsibility of media representatives according to the Civil Code, not the Criminal one. Each democratic country should keep its journalists. The freedom of word and expression is an important issue of the democratic society, he pointed out.
According to Mr. Mollazadeh, Azerbaijan wants to integrate into the Euro Atlantic organizations, and it should very carefully treat such issues. At the same time, in his opinion, it is important to support the media in its relations with the officials, as well as the politicians` relation with the media. We should approach to the problem's solution from this point of view. And I wish the Human Rights parliamentary assembly and dear Rabiyat Khanum (Mrs,) Aslanova held an investigation on this issue. If there is a need, the members of the other commissions of the Milli Majlis might be attracted to this issue as well, said Mr. Mollazadeh.
...