The European Union attaches great importance to free and independent journalism according to the head of the EU delegation to Azerbaijan Peter Michalko. He said that sometimes journalists face risks to their lives when they tell people the truth, as is the case in Ukraine, which is currently under Russian aggression. "We have been closely following the process of discussing the Media Law, its discussions with journalists and the public. I have also said in my meetings with government officials that I hope that this law will not adversely affect media rights."
"The media can only develop and contribute when it is free. We want to support the development and capacity building of the media in particular," he said. According to him, the European Union can support the media with projects to improve the professionalism of journalists, including in the country’s regions. In addition, the Azerbaijani media can benefit from regional projects within the Eastern Partnership. "We continue to pay attention to this issue and hope that the implementation of this law will not allow negative situations to occur."
Asked whether the fate of those arrested after readmission in Germany had been discussed with the authorities, Michalko said that human rights were a core value of the European Union. "Human rights are one of the values on which the EU is based, and this is a priority in both domestic and foreign policy. This is at the heart of all our steps. We focus on human rights and fundamental rights. We will continue to focus on human rights. We are discussing these issues with our partner organisations; we are raising these issues."
