The Chief Prosecutor Office of Azerbaijan has warned three Azerbaijani online news platforms against publishing military-related news items without the permission of the Ministry of Defense.
Staff of online media outlets criminal.az, xeberinfo.com, azpolitika.info were summoned to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office earlier this week where they were told to “cease disseminating military-related news [published by] Berlin-based Meydan TV. . . and to first confirm with the Ministry of Defense and other state institutions”.
The article in question was published on March 11 and reported the suicide of Private Subhan Sadiq oglu Khaspoladov, who was serving in the Qazakh regiment of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.
His relatives informed Meydan TV of his death, and said that when they received his body, it was covered in wounds. The private also sustained a bullet wound, which the army claimed was self-inflicted.
The online media outlets listed above
reposted
the
news item
on March 11 and 12. The Chief Prosecutor sent an open statement to APA News Agency
after the news outlets had been given a warning.
“If they don’t confirm [the information] but instead continue disseminating the information for the sake of sensationalism, serious measures will be taken in accordance with the law”, the Chief Prosecutor’s Office statement read.
Meydan TV Media Manager Habib Muntezir does not agree with the statement, saying the news platform does not publish any kind of military news without first confirming information.
“We always check information with the families of the soldiers. We are not responsible for media platforms that decide to sensationalize this news”, Muntezir said.
He also noted that Meydan TV had repeatedly contacted the Ministry of Defense in the case of Khaspoladov, but had been unable to garner a response.
The fact was further confirmed by Khaspoladov’s friend, who posted about the incident on Facebook, and by Deputy Chair of Mikhliqovaq Municipality Ilham Shirinov, who told Meydan, “Yes, we have buried him. We have been told that he committed suicide”.
Media expert Alasgar Mammadli told Meydan TV in an interview that the prosecutor’s approach is “unacceptable”, adding that the prosecutor’s move violates tenets of media freedom in the country.
“Journalists have standards. If they write something false, and someone is a victim of ‘fake news’, then the problem might make its way to court. But if there is a wrongful soldier death and official sources are hiding this information – should a journalist not reveal the truth?”
