OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media appeals to President

According to APA, Mr. Haraszti raised the case of Samir Adigozalov, the editor and founder of the newspaper Boyuk Milat, sentenced last week to one year imprisonment.

"I am very concerned about the severity of this sentence," wrote Haraszti.

Haraszti referred to the President's speech a year ago, after the murder of prominent journalist, Elmar Husseynov, in which the President urged government officials to refrain from filing lawsuits against the media. The OSCE representative said it' now time for the Head of State to push for permanent reform of the libel law.

"I have praised your practical moratorium on criminal persecution of journalists on many occasions. I valued it as a very important first step towards the complete decriminalization of libel and defamation in your country," wrote Haraszti in his letter.

Mr. Haraszti asked President to maintain the momentum of his earlier initiative by taking the necessary legislative steps.

"The reform could start with an official moratorium on criminal suits against journalist, and be completed by removing the libel, defamation and verbal insult provisions from the Criminal Code. Simultaneously, civil law should be revised, particularly with regard to rational ceilings for damage payments, so that it can handle defamation offences in a measured way," wrote Haraszti.