Azerbaijan
[AZ] Media reforms promoted
IRIS 2021-3:1/10
Andrei Richter
Comenius University (Bratislava)
On 12 January 2021, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a decree “On deepening media reform in the Republic of Azerbaijan”.
It lists the record of the country in “removing artificial obstacles to freedom of expression and freedom of information” and abolishing censorship since the 1990s. Modern technologies, though, call for reforms to be promoted in the country for “professional services on informing the public."
The decree establishes the Media Development Agency of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to replace the Fund of State Support for the Development of Mass Media. Its Chair, CEO and the board are appointed by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Agency’s founding capital will be AZN 285 405 (about EUR 14 000).
Within two months, the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan is to draft and submit to the President a new statute “On Media” to replace the 1999 statute “On the Mass Media” (see IRIS 2000-2:1/25) which is presently in force.
References
- Azərbaycan Respublikasında media sahəsində islahatların dərinləşdirilməsi haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin Fərmanı
- https://azertag.az/xeber/Azerbaycan_Respublikasinda_media_sahesinde_islahatlarin_derinlesdirilmesi_haqqinda__Azerbaycan_Respublikasi_Prezidentinin_Fermani-168630
- Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On deepening media reform in the Republic of Azerbaijan”
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This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.