The Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan has issued a statement regarding information resources operating on behalf of various communities and national minorities.
Jnews.az reports that the Media Development Agency emphasized that all entities carrying out media activities in the territory of Azerbaijan must comply with the requirements of the Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan "On Media" and stressed the importance of being registered in the "Media Registry" Information System in the manner prescribed by law.
AJMedia is not registered in the Media Registry
The Agency announced that the AJMedia news portal, which presents itself as an information portal created on the initiative of the Azerbaijan Jewish Media Center and public figures of Jewish descent, is not registered in the "Media Registry" Information System.
The statement also noted that some materials published on the portal failed to comply with the requirements of media ethics.
The Media Development Agency noted that a relevant court decision had been adopted regarding the information resource in question due to the violation of the requirements of the Law "On Media".
According to the Agency, the activities of AJMedia were deemed illegal by a court decision.
Jewish religious communities issue joint statement
In addition, Jewish religious communities operating in Azerbaijan have issued a joint statement regarding AJMedia.
The statement noted that under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the protection of religious diversity, the strengthening of inter-confessional solidarity, and the promotion of multicultural values constitute one of the important directions of state policy in Azerbaijan.
It was noted that the financial support provided to religious communities is also an important indicator of the consistent and purposeful implementation of this policy.
The Jewish religious communities stated that under the favorable conditions created by the state policy, they carry out their activities based on the principles of transparency, accountability, and compliance with the requirements of the legislation.
Objection to information disseminated by AJMedia
The joint statement expressed regret over the dissemination of information that does not reflect the truth regarding the activities, including financial matters, of the Jewish religious communities operating in the country on the AJMedia news portal, which belongs to an entity presenting itself as the Azerbaijan Jewish Media Center in recent days.
The communities stated that the use of allocated funds is carried out in accordance with established rules, and financial operations are conducted within the framework of appropriate control and accountability.
AJMedia does not reflect the position of Jewish communities
The statement emphasized that it is unacceptable for any media organization to speak on behalf of Jewish religious communities, to present the position of the communities without referring to their official position, or to attempt to form public opinion on their behalf.
"The Jewish religious communities of Azerbaijan do not accept AJMedia as their information resource, do not support it in any form, and state that the views published on that resource do not reflect the position of the communities," the statement noted.
The communities added that they are ready to continue answering questions from media representatives regarding their activities and to directly explain their positions on issues of public interest.
The joint statement was issued by Milikh Yevdayev, head of the Religious Community of Mountain Jews in Baku, Alexander Sharovsky, chairman of the Religious Community of European Jews in Baku, and Zamir Isayev, head of the Religious Community of Sephardic Jews in Baku.
Call from the Media Development Agency
The Media Development Agency emphasized that entities carrying out media activities on behalf of any community or social group must also strictly comply with the requirements of the legislation.
The Agency specifically noted the importance of such media entities providing accurate, objective, and transparent information to the public about their legal and professional status, areas of activity, and representational characteristics.
