Dunja Mijatović, OSCE representative on media freedom, at the 13th conference on mass media in the South Caucasus in Tbilisi expressed her concern over the the situation of the independent press in the South Caucasus and Khadija Ismayilova’s being unable to participate at the conference:
“Khadija Ismayilova has been released, but she is not free to come here and participate at this conference.”
She also denounced the instances of violence that journalists in the South Caucasus have met with on a regular basis, and the relatively low levels of press freedom in Armenia and Azerbaijan:
“It is time for us to gradually move towards Yerevan and Baku from Tbilisi.”
The forum in Tbilisi will last two days. More than 70 journalists from Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan are participating. Representatives of the authorities, experts and employees of international organizations are also present at the conference.
