On December 28, three dozen journalists representing independent and opposition media held a protest rally in front of the Parliament building.
They expressed dissatisfaction with the draft law “On Media” which restricts the rights of the press and freedom of speech,
The participants of the action expressed outrage that the Parliament ignores the calls and demands of the journalistic community to amend the bill.
“We are against the reactionary law,” “The press is free,” “Take your register and get lost!” they chanted.
After the police squads surrounded the journalists, trying to push them back and took away posters from private owners, a scuffle broke out between them and the participants.
After that, the police stopped pushing the participants of the action.
The journalists read out a resolution in which they demanded that the deputies take into account the opinion of the journalistic community and make the necessary amendments to the bill. “This law contradicts the Constitution of Azerbaijan and the European Convention on Human Rights. If our opinion is not taken into account, journalists will ignore this reactionary law,” the resolution says.
Two participants of the action were allowed to submit a resolution to the Parliamentary secretariat. None of the deputies came out to them.
Turan
