Azerbaijani human rights activists are concerned with planned stop of foreign radio stations

The plans of the National Television and Radio Board (NTRB) of Azerbaijan to stop broadcasting of foreign radio stations in national frequencies are another evidence of the intention of country leaders to deprive their population of alternative information sources, human rights activists assert.

Leila Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD), said in her comments on the statement of Head of the NTRB Nushiravan Magerramli about the plans to stop broadcasting of radio stations Liberty, Voice of America and BBC in local frequencies that now, having established complete control over TV channels, the authorities strive to completely monopolize the radio environment. Ms Yunus called "the lie" the NTRB's arguments that the countries of Europe also have no foreign broadcasting in national frequencies.

Another human rights defender, Head of the Foundation for Promotion of Democracy and Defence of Human Rights Murad Sadaddinov believes that the authorities will still not dare to stop the broadcasting of the western radio stations. In his opinion, the statement of the head of the NTRB was a "trial balloon" aimed at verifying the reaction of the domestic and international public opinions.

Arzu Abdullaeva, head of the Azerbaijani National Committee of the Helsinki Civil Assembly, has also criticised the plans of the authorities to stop broadcasting of foreign radio stations. In her opinion, "it will strongly hit political pluralism and freedom of speech in Azerbaijan."

In its turn, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed its deep concern of the plans of the government of Azerbaijan to stop, starting next year, broadcasting of three foreign radio stations - BBC, Radio Liberty and Voice of America in local frequencies.

"Disappearance of the three foreign broadcasters from the local radio environment will tear Azerbaijan away from the forum of independent news," said Nina Ognyanova, coordinator of the Committee's projects for Europe and Central Asia. "The government should not deprive these radio stations of national frequencies, and the references that these frequencies are required for local broadcasters won't hold water. The authorities have repeatedly demonstrated their intolerance to independent voices on air."