Azerbaijan sets punishments for internet insult and slander

Azerbaijan sets punishments for internet insult and slander
# 14 May 2013 12:11 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports that the parliament has today discussed the amendments made to the Criminal Code. Chairman of the Committee on legal policy and state building Ali Huseynli gave information about the amendments.

Huseynli said that if the law envisages responsibility for press insult and slander, it must also be applied to internet insult and slander.

MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev said that the increase of the responsibility for internet insult and slander is obscure: “We are becoming a part of the civilized world. Though I thought differently a few years ago, I believe that we can approve the Law on Defamation and abolish the Criminal Code articles 147.1 (slander) and 148 (insult).”

Vice-speaker Ziyafat Asgarov said only few EU countries have Law on Defamation.

“If it is a good law, the EU should set an example for us. The Law on Defamation is not among our commitments before the Council of Europe. This has been simply offered to us. I think the Azerbaijani society is not ready for it,” he said.

According to the amendments, the words “or in the media outlet” in articles 147 (slander) and 148 (insult) have been replaced with “in the media outlet or in internet information resource if demonstrated publicly”. So, the punishments envisaged in these articles will also be applied to the reports spread in internet information media.

Under article 147.1 of the Criminal Code, fines from AZN 100 up to AZN 500 and public works up to 240 hours, corrective work up to a year or 6-month imprisonment are envisaged for slander, disgracing a person in public speeches, works demonstrated publicly and mass media. Under article 148, fines from AZN 300 to AZN 1000, public works up to 240 hours, corrective work up to a year or 6 months imprisonment are envisaged for deliberately insulting honor and dignity of a personality in public speeches, works demonstrated publicly or mass media.

#
#

THE OPERATION IS BEING PERFORMED