CoE SECRETARY GENERAL CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF IMPRISONED JOURNALISTS

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The European Convention on Human Rights guarantees the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.

There can be no genuine freedom of expression and no genuine democracy if journalists are imprisoned for doing their work.

I am increasingly concerned about the number of journalists being sent to prison in Azerbaijan, and I urge the Government of Azerbaijan to examine all these cases as a matter of urgency.

I am also concerned about some of the constitutional amendments which will be put to a referendum in March and which may further restrict the freedom of media. The proposed provisions for the protection of privacy are far too broad and may be used in ways contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Council of Europe is ready to provide advice about how the protection of privacy of individuals can be balanced with freedom of expression, but we only give advice if it is requested by the Government of a member state