Zhivkova: printed journalism of Azerbaijan is extremely politicized

According to Eugenia Zhivkova, Rapporteur of the PACE Monitoring Committee, the Azerbaijani journalism in general - and the printed one in particular - is highly politicized. This was Ms Zhivkova's opinion of the situation with mass media in Azerbaijan expressed in her conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"I cannot judge to what extent the media problems are serious in Azerbaijan, but one of your country's obligations before the PACE is respect to the freedom of speech," Ms Zhivkova said.

"As to the journalists' arrest, I can hardly say anything in particular. We have contradictory information. The authorities stick to one opinion, the opposition and journalists - to the other. But in any case there's no good when journalists are in custody. I think that trust should be created between the government and journalists, in order not to have such problems in the future," the co-Rapporteur asserts.

Answering the question whether the PACE would appoint a new Rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan, the lady-expert has noted that everything would depend on the activities of the working group on this problem that was created from representatives of the authorities and human rights activists. "I'd like to hope that the results of the working group will be fruitful and there'll be no need to appoint a Rapporteur," Eugenia Zhivkova has concluded.