08 November 2013, 20:54
Azerbaijani newspaper "Yeni Musavat" suspends in protest against obstacles to distribution
Since November 9, in Azerbaijan, the oppositional newspaper "Yeni Musavat" was temporarily suspended – this was a sort of protest against the obstacles created for its distribution. Another oppositional newspaper "Azadlyg" is also facing a threat of suspension, since the publishing house "Azerbaijan" has demanded to quickly pay the debts.
Rauf Arifoglu, the founder and editor-in-chief of "Yeni Musavat", told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that sale of the paper has been complete banned at Baku stations for three weeks already. According to his story, the initiative of the ban originated from the city Mayoralty.
In his opinion, the authorities should be interested in the survival of "Yeni Musavat", which "had done a lot for Azerbaijan to win its independence."
Meanwhile, Rakhim Gadjiev, the first deputy editor-in-chief of the "Azadlyg", said that youth activists had launched fundraising through the Facebook in support of the paper.
The "Azadlyg" is published since December 1989; by its political orientation it is close to the oppositional Popular Front Party.
It should be noted here that on November 8 at the roundtable held in the office of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) on the problems of the freedom of expression and media, Mekhman Aliev, the director of the "Turan" news agency, drew attention to "the critical situation with the freedom of media," since "the authorities have taken full control over 99 percent of the media; the rest of them are on the verge of extinction."
Author: Faik Medzhid Source: CK correspondent
