NEW AZERBAIJAN PARTY

There are freedom of speech, independent media and free internet access in Azerbaijan, and every journalist is free to collect necessary information, spread it without any censorship and present it for public discussion, said Ali Hasanov, the Azerbaijani president’s aide, the head of the presidential administration’s public and political issues department.

He was addressing the ceremony for awarding the winners of a journalistic essays competition, held by the State Fund for Support of Mass Media Development under the Azerbaijani President.

Hasanov said that so far there have not been any facts of arrest or prosecution of a journalist in Azerbaijan.

He said Azerbaijan’s government and the media policy, which was founded by Azerbaijan’s National Leader Heydar Aliyev, created conditions for formation of free and independent press and electronic media that can represent Azerbaijan within the country, in the region and on international arena.

“Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly held meetings with the media representatives, where he talked about the information policy of the Azerbaijani state, and the policy in the field of press,” he added.

“The president of Azerbaijan has repeatedly said we created and will further create all the conditions for the media, we don’t imagine the public and political life of the country, the government, and the Azerbaijani state without free media,” Hasanov said.