16:21, 6 May 2004

Round table devoted to World Press Freedom Day takes place in Baku

The Press Council arranged a round table at the Baku Press Club on May 3, World Press Freedom Day. Azerbaijan's media is rated as "Not Free" in a new report by Freedom House, an international human rights organization. The country takes the 156th place.

Ganimat Zakhidov, editor-in-chief of the Azadlyg newspaper, reminded that at the beginning of the 21st century, there were still deputies in the Azerbaijan parliament who demanded that some newspapers be closed and journalists working for them be denied accreditation. "It is a disgrace to the country. Besides, the president's staff keep on showing a partial attitude towards journalists of opposition newspapers," he added. The authorities regulate the scope of advertising in the opposition media, in Mr Zakhidov's opinion.

At the end of the round table, chairman of the media organization Yeni Nesil Arif Aliyev called upon the journalists to pay their attention to legislative acts in the media field. Legislation is a priority for the Press Council this year, he said.

Source: Echo (Azerbaijan)