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Ali Hasanov: The position of the Azerbaijani authorities is to prevent the actions that will restrict freedom of speech and expression

22 May 2013 11:21 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ramil Mammadli – APA. “Internet should either give up penetrating into every family and society without permission, or certain frameworks, norms should be protected,” said chief of socio-political department of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov addressing the event on the theme “Reforms on human rights: Prospects of legislation on defamation”, APA reports.

According to him, any person taking a pen can not be considered a journalist: “Any person creates an internet blog and insults people, then says that according to the law “On defamation” he will pay only fine. It is an incorrect approach. We will not focus on any principle that will cause lawlessness in Azerbaijan. We will not support it, no matter who will demand it,” he said.

Ali Hasanov said the position of the Azerbaijani authorities is to prevent the actions that will restrict freedom of speech and expression.

“But at the same time it is not right to misinterpret the articles on slander and insult. Does anybody doubt that internet is mass media? Nobody doubts it. So far internet like a stray cat entered any yard, no one could prevent it. How can it be that a journalist is responsible for the article in a newspaper with the circulation of 10 000 copies, while no one bears the responsibility for the information in the internet resource read by more than 3 million people? Such an approach is inadmissible,” he said.

Ali Hasanov noted that all – opposition, authorities, journalists, officials are dissatisfied with the smear campaign on the internet.