Azerbaijan Media Agency rejects biased assessments in Council of Europe press freedom report
Statement by the Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan
The annual report for 2025 on the state of press freedom in Europe, published by the Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists of the Council of Europe, contains one-sided and biased assessments regarding Azerbaijan’s media environment, News.Az reports, citing the statement.
In particular, the approaches reflected in the report concerning the amendments made in 2025 to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Media” are of a speculative nature.
The amendments to the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan “On Media” were proposed based on the recommendations, wishes, and suggestions of society and the media community. The main objective was to safeguard and strengthen the country’s information environment, reinforce the media brand and enhance the reputation of professional journalists, increase the sensitivity of state regulation in combating various negative phenomena in the information space while taking into account the demands of society, and ensure greater flexibility in this area.
One such speculative approach is also reflected in the opinions expressed regarding print media entities. However, contrary to what is stated in the report, the relevant amendments include a provision prohibiting the use in the names of media entities of expressions that contradict public order, morality, and ethics, or that may mislead users. This provision, which is widely applied in foreign and international practice, serves to protect users’ rights regarding their expectations from a given entity, as well as the brand value of media organizations.
It should be noted that there are no restrictions in Azerbaijan on journalists’ professional activities, and freedom of expression is fully ensured in the country both legally and in practice.
At the same time, we emphasize that in the Republic of Azerbaijan all citizens bear equal responsibility before the law regardless of race, religion, origin, gender, ethnicity, or professional affiliation. With regard to the specific individuals mentioned in the report, we note that the details of the case materials available to the public clearly show that there is no connection between those individuals’ professional activities and the criminal and administrative charges brought against them, and that the relevant allegations merely represent unsuccessful attempts at manipulation.
At the same time, we note that the requirement for media entities to be duly registered and included in the Media Register applies to all media entities operating in the Republic of Azerbaijan, including branches and representative offices of foreign media organizations. The new approaches in this area are essentially aimed solely at improving efficiency from a technical and organizational standpoint.
When establishing the requirements for media entities to be included in the Register as information agencies, the results of an analysis of existing practice were taken into account. Particular attention was also paid to the fact that information agencies, by their nature, perform a unique function not only in providing content to consumers but also in supplying content to other professional media entities.
With regard to the material published on the Platform in 2024 concerning the current state of legislation on defamation in our country, which is referenced in the report, we would like to recall that our position on the claims reflected in that material was officially communicated to the relevant party in the same year.
It is regrettable that when such reports concerning Azerbaijan are prepared, the official position is not taken into account and that the conclusions are based not on facts but on assumptions, subjective opinions, and interpretations.
By Emil Kaziyev
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