OSCE promotes decriminalization of defamation in Azerbaijan

BAKU, 11 May 2011 - The OSCE Office in Baku and the Azerbaijani Press Council organized a conference on decriminalization of defamation, which started today. More than 80 representatives of the government, parliament, civil society and the media will discuss decriminalization of defamation as a step in safeguarding freedom of expression and freedom of the media.

Dunja Mijatović, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, said in her address to the conference: “I welcome the initiative of the Azerbaijani authorities to decriminalize defamation and join the OSCE participating States that have already taken this important step.”

“Criminal prosecution should be for criminal acts and not for expressing opinions on politics or a public figure. Defamation or libel should be a matter for civil and not criminal courts,” said Mijatović.

“Freedom of expression and freedom of the media are two of the OSCE’s founding principles,” said Ambassador Bilge Cankorel, the Head of the OSCE Office in Baku. “For this reason, the decriminalization of defamation in Azerbaijan has always been one of the key priorities of the OSCE Office in Baku, and today we are pleased to provide support to the legislative initiative of the Azerbaijan Press Council.”

In 2010, the Azerbaijani Press Council approached the OSCE Office in Baku with a request for assistance in improving media-self regulation mechanisms in the country. In accordance with recommendations provided by the OSCE, the Press Council revised the Press Code of Ethics to provide clearer guidance on what constitutes ethical conduct in professional journalism.

During the conference, national and international experts will outline international standards on defamation, scope of the domestic legislation and effective measures to protect journalists.