Rights defenders called on Azerbaijan not to toughen penalties for insulting authorities on Internet

On November 17, Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Spokesperson on the Freedom of the Media, urged Azerbaijani authorities to refrain from expanding the criminal liability for defamation and insult, as well as to decriminalize defamation. The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) has called on the Parliament not to adopt the amendments to the Criminal Code, proposed by the General Public Prosecutor.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 15, Zakir Garalov, the General Public Prosecutor of Azerbaijan, sent draft amendments to the Criminal Code to the Parliament, suggesting tougher penalties for insulting the president and establishing liability for defamation on the Internet through the use of "fake" accounts. The amendments assume deprivation of freedom for up to three years.

The IRFS believes that "criminal penalties for defamation are regressive and incompatible with the international law."

Further, the IRFS has stated that defamation can be punished only by civil liability measures, because its criminalization is adversely affecting the freedom of expression.

Gabib Muntazir, the manager of the Berlin-based edition Meydan TV, believes that the Prosecutor's legislative initiative is aimed at critics of the government.

In his turn, Chingiz Ganizade, an MP and a member of the Human Rights Parliamentary Committee, has treated the proposed amendments positively: "users will be more responsible."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.