The decree named “Rules for Conducting the Media Registry” have been approved in Azerbaijan by President Ilham Aliyev on September 26.
According to the document, the relevant state information resources and systems of the Media Registry is assigned to ensure its connection with the Electronic Government Information System.
At the same time, it is emphasized that necessary measures should be taken to ensure the safety of the Media Registry together with the Special Communication and Information Security State Service.
The rules, consisting of 12 points, also indicate the implementation of the regulation of the formation, management, integration and archiving of information resources and systems.
Director of “Turan” Information Agency Mehman Aliyev says that he is against the media registry in advance.
He told Meydan TV that if the government keeps a register, it should do it in all areas:
“The register of workers, teachers and doctors in the fields of construction and sewage should be kept. For example, why is there no register of doctors, when more importantly, do they have a diploma, where do they work? and so on”, he argues.
According to M. Aliyev, this policy is designed to take control of free journalists and impose bans on them. He believes that “it aims to eliminate media organizations that do not satisfy them. The media policy of the current government is always to stifle the free press and impose censorship on the information society itself”.
On February 8, President Ilham Aliyev approved the Law “On Media”.
Independent journalists and media experts, as well as international organizations, have said since the first day that this law aims to hinder the work of independent media and journalists.
Azerbaijani officials always state in their statements that the media in the country is independent.
