TODAY.AZ / Society

I have not made any statement about closing of state-run newspapers: Azerbaijani presidential administration official - UPDATE

24 September 2009 [15:32] - TODAY.AZ
“I haven’t made any statement about closing of state-run newspapers at the meeting with Bengt Braun”, Ali Hasanov, Chief of the Public Policy Department of Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, said.
16:32

Deputy Chairman of the World Association of Newspapers and Publishers (WAN) Bengt Braun said at a press conference on Thursday that Ali Hasanov told him that state-run newspapers will be closed soon.

Hasanov said Braun asked why state-run newspapers didn’t end their activities and he told him that Azerbaijani media divided to different political camps at present and independent and opposition newspapers don’t publish official news, government’s decisions and laws. I told him that I hope if politicized press is ended in Azerbaijan in future, there will be no need in state-run newspapers as well. The independent press will publish news about the government’s activity and its decisions and there will be no need in official newspapers”.

15:39

State-run newspapers will be closed in Azerbaijan soon, vice chairman of the World Association of Newspapers and Publishers (WAN) Bengt Braun said at a news conference in Baku.

He said Chief of the Public Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov told him about that.

 “Ali Hasanov told me that serious changes are expected in Azerbaijani media in the next few years. Defamation will be decriminalized, state-run newspapers and magazines will be closed, advertising market will be strengthened and huge work will be done for increasing of professionalism in media. Ali Hasanov said accusations against media were also reduced”.

WAN official said he asked Hasanov for releasing of journalists from arrest. “He promised to deliver my request to the president”.

Braun added that he was not satisfied with the state of media in Azerbaijan and said three arrested journalists and two bloggers should be released soon.

/APA/
URL: http://www.today.az/news/society/55865.html

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