Does Azerbaijan have free media?

Reporters without Borders ranks Azerbaijan at the 167th place (between Egypt and Bahrain) out of over 180 countries on the Press Freedom Index, with a score of 58.48. Freedom House ranks Azerbaijan as “Not Free”. The authorities use a range of measures to restrict freedom of the media within the country.

What is Azerbaijan famous for?

Azerbaijan, the land of fire! One of Azerbaijan’s most famous sites is Yanar Dağ (or “Burning Mountain“), a natural glowing fire burning on a hillside along the Caspian Sea. True to its name, the mountain has been blazing for at least 65 years!

Does Azerbaijan have free speech?

D Freedom of Expression and Belief Defamation remains a criminal offense. Journalists—and their relatives—face harassment, violence, and intimidation by authorities. Many have been detained or imprisoned on fabricated charges, while others face travel bans.

How old are Azerbaijan?

Background: The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established in 1918, it was the first democratic and secular republic in the Muslim world, but was incorporated into the Soviet Union only two years later. The country regained independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

How would you describe Azerbaijan?

The country is situated in southwestern Asia with the Great Caucasus Mountains to the north. Historically, the name Azerbaijan refers to a larger region that formed part of Persia (Iran). Azerbaijan is bordered by the Caspian Sea in east, by Iran in south, by Armenia in west, and Georgia and Russia in the north.

What is Azerbaijan culture?

Azerbaijani culture is a blend of East and West, with influences predominantly from Middle Eastern, Russian and Turkish cultures. Most of the population are Azerbaijani, also known as Azeri, with minority groups including Russians, Turks, Kurds, Lezgians and Talysh.

Is Azerbaijan an oppressive country?

Azerbaijan’s authorities continued to maintain rigid control, severely curtailing freedoms of association, expression, and assembly. The government released over 50 human rights defenders, journalists, opposition activists, religious believers and other perceived critics imprisoned on politically motivated charges.

What are the issues in Azerbaijan?

Significant human rights issues included: unlawful or arbitrary killing; torture; arbitrary detention; harsh and sometimes life-threatening prison conditions; political prisoners; arbitrary interference with privacy; politically motivated reprisal against individuals outside the country; pervasive problems with the …

Why do Azerbaijan’s media outlets have low revenues?

Therefore, media have turned into a fully-fledged structure with very low material revenues and most outlets in Azerbaijan do not have long-term strategies because of the lack of competition. This is especially the case of the print press, with newspapers lacking advertisement, which are mostly noticeable on digital media.

Who will rule on Azerbaijan’s new audio-visual restrictions?

To rule on who is and isn’t abiding by the new restrictions will be the Azerbaijani courts, as well as a new seven-member Audio Visual Council.

Did Azerbaijan pass a law to ban journalists with criminal records?

In a rebuke of the legislation on February 10, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, a human rights group, noted that the Azerbaijani parliament had passed it “With no formal opportunity for the public to discuss and comment on the draft.” It noted that any journalist with a criminal record would be excluded from the new reporter registry.