Prof. Kirtley Lectures on Freedom of the Press in Azerbaijan and Armenia

Professor Jane Kirtley went on a two-week speaking tour of Azerbaijan and Armenia, sponsored by the U.S. State Department. She delivered public lectures in Baku, Yerevan, and Gyumri, and met with editors, bloggers, media lawyers, government officials, human rights advocates and academics, discussing issues including civil and criminal defamation and insult laws, privacy, and the transition from analog to digital broadcasting in Armenia and its impact on media pluralism. At a meeting of the Azerbaijan Press Council, where she introduced her Media Law Handbook, Kirtley said, "Journalists should not fear going to jail for something they write."