OSCE media freedom representative calls on Azerbaijan's president to decriminalize defamation

Mr. Haraszti addressed a recent wave of prosecutions against the media during meetings today in Baku with President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

He asked them to help stop the deterioration of the media situation by decriminalizing defamation soon, so that only civil-law courts would deal with offences against honour and dignity.

"During my first meeting with President Aliyev in April 2005, I thanked him for his call on government officials to refrain from suing journalists for defamation. Unfortunately, since March this year, his moratorium appeal has not been respected by officials. Without a legal moratorium and reform, Azerbaijan might become a journalist-imprisoning country," Haraszti said.

Mr. Haraszti is in Azerbaijan to meet officials and journalists. He will also chair a Roundtable on Defamation, organized by the OSCE Centre in Baku with experts, international organizations and parliament members.

"My visit is an immediate response to the deterioration of the media situation. Four journalists are in jail or received suspended prison sentences in Azerbaijan for defamation, and several others are facing similar punishment in ongoing trials.

"Although the president voiced his disappointment with the lack of constructive behaviour by the press, I still hope he will support the urgently needed reform," Haraszti said. "There are many ways of enhancing accuracy and professionalism in the media other than criminalization. The OSCE is ready to support ethics self-regulation initiatives."

In his meetings with the president and the foreign minister, Mr. Haraszti raised last week's conviction of satirical journalist Mirza Sakit Zahidov, to three years imprisonment for alleged possession of drugs. He also asked about warnings by the National Council on TV and Radio to ban re-broadcasting of BBC, Voice of America and Radio Liberty programmes on local stations. OSCE