Сoronavirus response should not curb freedom of the press in Azerbaijan, says OSCE Media Freedom Representative
VIENNA, 25 March 2020 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his concern today regarding amendments to the law on information, adopted by the national parliament of Azerbaijan on 17 March, in the context of the fight against disinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on the amendments, the owner of any internet information resource is under the obligation to prevent the publication of false information online. According to the bill, this entails information that poses a threat to the life, health and property of the population or public safety, or to the work of life support facilities, financial, transport, communication, industrial, energy and social infrastructure. The publication of information that might cause other situations that are dangerous to the public would also be prohibited.
“I fully understand the need to combat false information during a health emergency. But the amendment to the law on information, which aims to combat the publication of false information that poses a threat to the life and health of the population and seeks to avoid panic, should not impede the work of journalists and their ability to report on the pandemic. The media has a key role to play in providing important information to the public in this situation and to combat ‘fake news’ on the crisis,” said Désir.
The Representative recalled the joint statement that he published last week with David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and Edison Lanza, IACHR Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, which emphasized that: “Human health depends not only on readily accessible health care. It also depends on access to accurate information about the nature of the threats and the means to protect oneself, one’s family, and one’s community”. The Representative and two Special Rapporteurs also stated that: “The right of access to information means that governments must be making exceptional efforts to protect the work of journalists. Journalism serves a crucial function at a moment of public health emergency, particularly when it aims to inform the public of critical information and monitors government actions.”