Azerbaijan: a Post-Soviet Media in Limbo

Abstract

As a developing country, Azerbaijan focuses on modernization and development in all areas. One of them is the media in which there are several problems that need to be solved — like in all other post-Soviet countries. This chapter discusses the media landscape of Azerbaijan. It analyzes both the legal documents and the related studies through a comprehensive literature review to understand the current situation of the media in Azerbaijan. The legal system in Azerbaijan is based on Continental European law; however, there are still some remnants of the past Soviet communist system. The Republic of Azerbaijan's Law on Media was enacted at the end of 2021, and it came into force following its publication in the official gazette on 8 February 2022. The Venice Commission of Council of Europe emphasizes that the Law paves the way for regulating the media sector, including online media, and restricts the activities. © 2025 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.