Azerbaijani Presidential Administration appeals to journalists - UPDATE - PHOTOS

Citizens' right to appeal to the courts to protect their honor and dignity shouldn't be restricted, Head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political Department Ali Hasanov said. He was responding to a question about financial sanctions on some press outlets.

"We cannot impose restrictions on courts making decisions based on relevant appeals," he noted. "We have been encouraging the press to follow the code of ethics of the press and norms of conduct for a long time," he said.

Hasanov said no matter how much the government has supported the press, such problems will occur unless they respect the rights of citizens, take responsibility for their work, and find the courage to give a refutation.

"If it was decided to adopt the law on defamation, the press must necessarily realize its responsibility and respect the honor and dignity of people. The government can do nothing in the event when the court decisions have been directed for execution," he said.


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12:40

Journalists must correctly choose the places during demonstrations and shouldn't clash with the forces employed to control the events, Head of Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political Department Ali Hasanov said at a seminar on "Security of journalists during public events".

He noted that the state-supported event with the participation of representatives of the state, the media and the OSCE is being held for the first time.

Citing the example of Idrak Abbasov, Hasanov noted that the use of force against him shows that he chose his place improperly.

Law enforcement authorities say he acted not as a journalist, but Abbasov himself said he was a journalist.

"Our goal is to more accurately determine how journalists should act during public events, what kind of uniform they should have, how their place should be determined," Hasanov said.

He noted that it is necessary to determine what kind of credentials journalists should have, and which organization should determine these credentials.

"In some cases, during the arrest of illegal action member, he presented credentials and claimed to be a representative of the media," Hasanov said.

He said that such seminars aim to study the international experience in this field, adding that the legal framework in the field of mass media in Azerbaijan is not enhanced enough.

/Trend/