Azerbaijan, Baku, May 19 / Trend , A. Huseynbala/
Azerbaijani Press Council Chairman Aflatun Amashov will address Speaker of the parliament Ogtay Asadov to debate Bill on Defamation at the parliament.
"International organizations have stated on numerous occasions that there is a need to adopt this bill. We want the bill to be brought up for discussions at the next session of the parliament," Press Council Chairman Aflatun Amashov told Trend .
The Bill on Defamation was designed with the support of the OSCE Baku Office in 2005. The bill was designed by MPs Ganira Pashayeva, Ayaz Guliyev, representatives of journalist organizations and lawyers.
International organizations say the articles 147 (slander) and 148 (insult) envisaging criminal responsibility must be withdrawn from the Penal Code.
"The adoption of the Law on Defamation is possible. But first of all a group of journalists must be ready to it," MP Ayaz Guliyev told Trend .
He said the problem will not be fully solved after the bill is adopted.
"The bill must be broadly discussed on the backdrop of numerous slander, lie, blackmail and false information in the Azerbaijani media," the MP said.
Guliyev said journalists can accelerate adoption of the bill. "They need to raise their skills as a first step. I think the bill can be discussed only after journalists reform their views," he said.
He said the time frame of bill's adoption will depend on professionalism of journalists.
Over 3,300 media outlets are registered in Azerbaijan. Only 600 of them are operating currently. There are nearly 400 newspaper and magazines and 20 television channels. There are about 50 electronic media outlets and 20 news agencies. The remaining are internet resources.
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