On 29 December, the OSCE Baku Office and Union of Journalists Yeni Nesil (New Generation) organized a round table dedicated to discussions of the law On defamation, Trend reports.
During his speech at the opening of the event, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Baku Office, Robin Sivord, highlighted the importance of adopting the law On defamation in Azerbaijan. He mentioned Article 9 of this Bill which envisages subjects of responsibility. The OSCE representative called it a significant step, Azerbaijani President's confirming the Action Plan on protection of human rights, and voiced his confidence that the law On defamation would also be adopted. The Head of Union of Journalists Yeni Nesil, Arif Aliyev, noted that an opinion has emerged in the community that the law will fully abolish punishment for journalists, but it is not so in reality. He added that the Bill had been presented for examination to the OSCE.
Thereafter, the experts, lawyers and journalists expressed their feelings and proposals regarding the Bill.