Baku: Print media entities operating without being registered in the Media Registry will face fines up to AZN 5,000, APA reports. This regulation is part of the new proposed Article 381.15 of the Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan on administrative offenses, which was deliberated during the recent session of the Milli Majlis, the Azerbaijani Parliament.
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the draft stipulates that physical persons will incur fines ranging from 500 to 1,000 manat. Officials will face fines from 1,500 to 2,500 manat, while legal entities will be fined between 3,000 to 5,000 manat for the publication or dissemination of printed media products by a print media entity not registered in the Media Registry. This also applies to entities such as publishing houses, publishers, or distributors operating without registration.
The Article specifies that a distributor includes any physical or legal person who, through a contract with a publishing house or publisher or under other legal arrangements, engages in the distribution and sale of publishing products. The draft law was successfully adopted in its third reading.