COE SECRETARY GENERAL CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF IMPRISONED JOURNALISTS
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[02:55 pm] 11 February, 2009
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