PACE Monitoring Committee co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan Andres Herkel and Joseph Grech will visit Azerbaijan from February 7-to 12 to make a regular report on Azerbaijan’s commitments to the Council of Europe. The officials will exchange views on state of mass media in the country, make preparations for the next parliamentary elections and other issues.

The visit outcomes will be discussed by Monitoring Committee in March and presented at the PACE session in June.

OSCE Representative for Freedom of the Media Miklos Harasti these days said that state of media freedom in the country is getting worse. He emphasized that law enforcers persecute journalists based on fabricated accusations of criminal offences. According to him, the lawmen should be recalled that their duty is to defend and not punish the journalists.

A.G.