Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev approved Wednesday the controversial media law adopted by the country's parliament on December 30 last year.
Turan reported that Aliyev also signed a decree on the application of the Media Law and the regulation of a number of issues arising from it.
Thus, the document provides for the establishment of a media registry.
The Media Development Agency was instructed to ensure the creation of a media registry within six months and include it in the e-government information system.
The National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) is also abolished and the Audiovisual Council is created in its place.
The president instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to prepare and submit to the president a draft law within 2 months that establishes measures of administrative responsibility for violating the law On Media.
The accreditation of foreign journalists will be carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan. They can start their activities only after the issuance of the consent of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Aliyev also signed a decree amending the charter of the Media Development Agency.
The Agency is empowered to issue warnings to print and online media entities for violation of this law, to suspend their activities and distribution of their products, and to file lawsuits to terminate the activities of media outlets.
The Agency also receives the rights to maintain the Media Register, to issue certificates of inclusion in the register to media bodies, and to journalists - journalistic certificates.
The agency is also empowered to grant consent to change the logo (emblem) of the editorial office of print and online media entered in the media register.
The Agency will annually announce a list of important events for the next year, post it on its official website and update it regularly.
In case of violations of the requirements of the law in the activities of media entities located outside of Azerbaijan, the Agency will implement measures provided for by international treaties of Azerbaijan and national legislation. Information platforms, the target audience of which is located in Azerbaijan, fall under these requirements of the law.
In cases where this is not provided for by international treaties to which Azerbaijan is a party, the Agency will resolve issues related to the distribution in the territory of Azerbaijan of the products of foreign print media, the permanent location of which is located outside of Azerbaijan.
The new media law was criticized by many representatives of the journalistic community and international organizations. The provisions of the law have a broad interpretation, which opens the way for its free interpretation. The law was signed by the President, despite the obvious contradiction of the law with the Constitution of the country and the International Convention on Human Rights.
These contradictions were pointed out in the appeals of the journalistic community and international actors to the President of Azerbaijan with a call to return the law for revision. The law is currently being studied by the Venice Commission.
