17:00, 10 May 2010

RWB concerned of Azerbaijani authorities' attempts to control Internet

The international organization in defence of the press "Reporters Without Borders" (RWB) has expressed its concern of the attempts of the government of Azerbaijan to introduce control over the Internet before the parliamentary elections to take place in November 2010.

The RWB statement runs that on April 16, Ali Abbasov, the local Minister for Communications and Information Technologies, announced the necessity to regulate the Internet and, in particular, to start licensing of Internet television. Head of the National Television and Radio Board Nushiravan Magerramli told the same a week later, the RWB further reminds.

"The authorities make dramatic statements about their desire to protect the spirituality of the state; however, actually they try to impose their monopoly on news and the information," the RWB's statement emphasizes.

"They're already controlling television and most printed editions and now launch a shameless attack on the Internet. These actions are contradictory to Azerbaijani obligations adopted earlier before the OSCE and the Council of Europe," the statement concludes.

Author: Faik Medzhid

Source: CK correspondent