(JuHI/IFEX) – The following is a 26 December 2001 JuHI press release: AZERI LEGISLATION OF MASS MEDIA UNDER SERIOUS LIBERALIZATION BAKU/26.12.01/TURAN: The parliamentary commission for culture and human rights, today, discussed and recommended, for consideration by the Milli Mejlis (National Assembly), a draft proposal for changes and amendments to the law on mass media. These […]
(JuHI/IFEX) – The following is a 26 December 2001 JuHI press release:
AZERI LEGISLATION OF MASS MEDIA UNDER SERIOUS LIBERALIZATION
BAKU/26.12.01/TURAN: The parliamentary commission for culture and human rights, today, discussed and recommended, for consideration by the Milli Mejlis (National Assembly), a draft proposal for changes and amendments to the law on mass media.
These amendments would give mass media the right to obtain financial support from any source, unless prohibited by the proposed legislation. The existing restrictions on advertisements in periodicals and electronic mass media would also be lifted.
According to the proposed law, journalists could be forced by the court to disclose information sources only in the following cases: the protection of people’s health; the prevention of serious crimes; and the defense of people charged with heavy crimes.
The elimination of a legislative norm that gives executive authorities the power to halt mass media activities is another serious innovation. In the new proposal, mass media could only be shut down or have its activities suspended at the will of the founder or by a court ruling. Moreover, the norms that currently allow the executive authorities to ban the distribution of periodicals containing materials that may damage the integrity and national security of the state, as well as pornographic materials, would be removed from the legislation. These bans would only be placed by the court under the proposed law.
Furthermore, it was suggested that the law allowing the cancellation of a journalist’s accreditation, by the accrediting institution itself, be removed. The norms concerning the rights and obligations of journalists, as well as those that deal with the basic economic activities of mass media, would also be removed from the legislation. The existing taxation and custom privileges would be preserved, as regulated by other legislative acts.
A radical recommendation is the cancellation of the permission system of mass media registration. The draft proposal outlines that any individual or organisation would be allowed to publish a newspaper provided that the corresponding state institution is notified one week beforehand.
The establishment of media institutions by foreign individuals and organisations would further be regulated by interstate agreements of the Republic of Azerbaijan.