Recommendations adopted in conference of Council of Europe and Press Council on defamation and freedom of speech made public

Recommendations were adopted at the end of the conference organized by the Council of Europe and Azerbaijani Press Council on the theme “Defamation and freedom of speech in Azerbaijan”, Council of Europe Information Office in Baku told APA. The recommendations are connected with decriminalization of defamation, immediate application of the President’s initiative not to launch criminal case on journalists, proportionality of financial punishments.

According to the recommendations, compensation should be proportional in civil procedures, journalists should be defended if the fact they claim is true, in accordance with the European Court of Human Rights, officials should not have special defense in material-legal, procedural laws and practice, voluntary behavior codes should be compiled for media, Azerbaijani authorities should cooperate with the Council of Europe to carry out reforms in the legislation on defamation.