Today, on November 13, a roundtable was organized in IRFS press center, focusing on the difficult financial situation of Azadliq newspaper and cessation of the paper’s publication.
The newspaper’s deputy editor Rahim Hajiyev said that a charity marathon will be kick off on November 15 at 12:00 in the office of the Popular Front Party located on 8 Talat Shikhaliyeva street, whit the aim to help the newspaper to get out of this difficult financial situation. He said the newspaper, despite all the hardships, does not intend to “change its course” and will continue its struggle even if it is closed down.
“A recent ban on Azadliq’s sale in certain places and huge defamation fines imposed by courts has put financial strain on the newspaper. Our bank accounts have been suspended. Make it worse, the publishing company Azerbaijan refuses to publish Azadliq due to a debt which we cannot afford to pay after Gasid state press distributor’s failure to pay us 50,000 manat which it owes to us for the sold copies of our paper” Hajiyev said.
Public figures and representatives of NGOs and religious stratum called on the international community to assist the newspaper.
Note that Azerbaijan publishing house ceased Azadliq’s publication from yesterday onwards, because of its inability to pay off the accumulated fee for publication.