Azerbaijan’s Parliament on Wednesday made online defamation of the President a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment. Azerbaijan criminalized defamation over the internet three years ago, meaning many people now use aliases and covert accounts, but the existing law made no separate mention of the President. Parliament on Wednesday passed amendments imposing fines of up to 1,500 manats ($860) and prison terms of up to three years for defamation of the President committed online, including comments which are made under fake names and accounts.
