Azeri official sees no need for media ombudsman

A senior Azerbaijani official has said appointing a media ombudsman in the country was not a hot issue on the agenda.

The head of the President’s Office socio-political department, Ali Hasanov, emphasized that media watchdog Press Council was currently in charge of regulating relations of the media with citizens and government agencies. The Council has begun to gain more public confidence of late.

Hasanov said a separate law On the Press Council may be passed in the country in the future. “If this happens, it may play the role of a more effective media institution, which will rule out the need for establishing a media ombudsman’s institute.”

Under the Law on Access to Information, a commissioner on the media is to be appointed. He would be responsible for assisting journalists facing challenges in obtaining information from state bodies. However, although the deadline envisioned by the law has expired, this institution has not been set up so far.*