Aliyev Signs New Law Affecting Journalistic Activities

The President of Azerbaijan has signed a law that, according to experts, will significantly complicate the lives of the remaining journalists in the country. This was reported by the BBC.

Under the new media law, journalists are now required to register in a single registry, provide their personal details, and are prohibited from receiving funding from abroad. The law stipulates the creation of a unified registry for mass media outlets in Azerbaijan.

According to certain articles, individuals lacking higher education, those unemployed, and those previously convicted of serious crimes or offenses against 'public morality' cannot register, establish mass media outlets, or participate in their activities. Political parties are allowed to create only print media, while local outlets are not authorized to receive foreign funding.

Moreover, when registering in the unified registry, the media outlet must provide executive authorities with the addresses, identification document numbers, and contact information of the founder, editor, and all journalists involved.

Many representatives of the Azerbaijani journalistic community believe that while the new law does not directly mandate all journalists to register, it could serve as a pretext for exerting pressure on them.

'The requirements for journalists to be included in the registry are very strict and illegal—higher education, no criminal record. In other words, the demands placed on journalists are excessively high,' noted media law expert Alesker Mamedli.