Azerbaijani bureaucrats want to preserve criminal punishment for defamation

The Azerbaijani Committee in Defence of Journalists named "Ruh" has held a poll aiming to reveal the attitude to responsibility for defamation among ministries, state bodies, establishments, enterprises and organizations.

"Two thirds, or 67 percent, out of 500 respondents spoke in the positive about the existing criminal punishments for slander and insult," Avaz Rustamov, executive director of the "Ruh", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

17 percent of respondents found it optimum to replace imprisonment for these crimes by other punishments, 15 percent found it difficult to express their opinion on the issue, 37 percent agreed with the current punishments for defamation, and 31 percent spoke in favour of tougher responsibility.

32 percent said that they would go to court for defence against defamation, 31 percent - to the Board on the Press; 15 percent said that they would try to settle the issue at the editorial boards; and 22 percent of the respondents "would not mind it at all."

20 percent of the respondents support fines for journalists and editions, 24 percent - for termination of media in the judicial order.

The poll was held in the second half of November among all the bodies of central executive power and several judicial bodies. In total, some 100 structures were interrogated.

Mr Rustamov said, in his comments on the polling outcomes, that the study had revealed "absence of any united position" among state bodies as to the law on defamation and cancellation of criminal liability for slander and insult.

In his turn, Emin Guseinov, director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that "bureaucrats oppose adoption of the law 'On Defamation', as the see the legislation on criminal liability for slander and insult as a mechanism for exerting pressure on disliked media."