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Azerbaijan: Draft Law on Freedom of Information |
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CASFEN
ARTICLE 19, London, 05.04.2005
-- ?ARTICLE 19 is alarmed that the authorities have brought the process
of developing a comprehensive law on freedom of information to a halt
after almost two years of consultations.? said Dr Agnes Callamard,
Executive Director of ARTICLE 19. ?It is imperative that the crucial
recommendations by legal experts (including by ARTICLE 19) for
improvements in the draft be taken into account.?
ARTICLE
19 urges the Azerbaijani authorities to follow the principles laid down
in a joint declaration adopted by the UN Special Representative on
Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the OSCE Representative on Freedom
of the Media and the OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression on
6 December 2004.
Those
principles emphasise that ?the right to access information held by
public authorities is a fundamental human right which should be given
effect at the national level through comprehensive legislation (for
example, Freedom of Information Acts) based on the principle of maximum
disclosure, establishing a presumption that all information is
accessible subject only to a narrow system of exceptions.?
ARTICLE 19 calls upon the Azerbaijani authorities to:
Schedule a second reading of the law immediately. Incorporate recommendations submitted by international experts. Adopt in 2005 an advanced Law on Freedom of Information. Establish
a working group that involves NGOs, members of Milli Mejlis, lawyers,
and the media to design a detailed strategy and action plan for the
implementation of this Law.
ARTICLE
19 will present its Recommendations for Specific Action and Legislative
Change at the Policy Roundtable to be held in Baku on 7th April.
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