MEDIA: 'Council of Europe Report Contains One-Sided and Biased Remarks on Media Environment in Azerbaijan'
In the 2025 annual report on the state of press freedom in Europe, published by the Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists, there are one-sided and biased remarks regarding the media environment in Azerbaijan.
This was stated by the Media Development Agency (MEDIA), which noted the following: 'In particular, the approaches reflected in the report concerning the amendments made in 2025 to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Media" are speculative in nature. The amendments were initiated taking into account the recommendations, wishes, and proposals of society and the media community. The main goal of these changes is to preserve and strengthen the country's information space, enhance the prestige of media brands and the authority of professional journalists, as well as increase the sensitivity of state regulation and ensure its flexibility in combating certain negative phenomena in the information environment, considering societal demands.'
The statement emphasizes that one such speculative approach is also evident in the remarks concerning print media entities: 'At the same time, contrary to what is stated in the report, the relevant amendments stipulate the inadmissibility of using expressions in the names of media entities that contradict public order, morality, and ethics, or that could mislead users. This provision aligns with widely applied foreign and international practices, protects users' rights in terms of their expectations from media entities, and contributes to preserving the brand value of media entities. It should be noted that there are no restrictions on the professional activities of journalists in Azerbaijan, and freedom of expression in the country is fully ensured both legally and in practice.'
'At the same time, we emphasize that in the Republic of Azerbaijan, all citizens bear equal responsibility before the law, regardless of race, religion, origin, gender, ethnicity, or profession. Regarding the specific individuals mentioned in the report, it should be noted that, based on publicly available case materials, it is clear that there is no connection between their professional activities and the criminal or administrative charges brought against them, and the corresponding claims represent merely unsuccessful attempts at manipulation,' the MEDIA statement reads.
MEDIA notes that the requirement for proper registration of media entities and their inclusion in the media registry applies to all media entities operating on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including branches and representative offices of foreign media. At the same time, the new approaches are essentially technical and organizational in nature and aimed at increasing efficiency.
It is emphasized that when formulating the requirements for including media entities in the registry as information agencies, the results of an analysis of existing practices were taken into account, as well as the special role of information agencies, which lies not only in providing content to consumers but also in supplying it to other professional media entities: 'Regarding the mention in the report of the current legislation on defamation in Azerbaijan, we remind that on the relevant material published on the Platform in 2024, our position was officially communicated to the interested party in the same year. It is regrettable that when preparing such reports on Azerbaijan, the official position of the country is not taken into account, and the basis is not facts but assumptions, subjective assessments, and judgments.'
