Azeri TV Channels Ban French Films After “Genocide” Act

Text of report by Azerbaijani news agency APA

Baku, 17 October: Some of the TV channels operating in Azerbaijan have banned the broadcast of films and video clips made in France. The reason is the decision made in the French parliament a few days ago to punish those who do not recognize the [alleged] genocide of the Armenians [in Ottoman Turkey in 1915].

The vice president of ANS TV, Mirsahin Agayev, said that the TV channel decided to suspend broadcasting French films and video clips after the mentioned decision of the French parliament.

Azad Azarbaycan TV [ATV] has also stopped the broadcast of French movies and clips. The director of the TV station’s broadcast department, Elsan Dadasov, said that the ban was made in protest against the resolution of the French parliament.

The director of the broadcast department of Azerbaijani TV and Radio closed joint-stock company, Fuad Valixanov, said that they had also banned the broadcast of French films and movies.

The director of the news department of Lider TV, Vali Akbar, said that they had not introduced such a ban, but nevertheless did not plan to show French films and clips.

The director of the broadcast department of Space TV, Minija Cafarli, however, said that the TV station had scheduled its broadcasts before the French parliament made this resolution. That is why it will continue broadcasting French films. Cafarli said that the TV channel may decided to suspend broadcasting French films and video clips.

The deputy general director of Public TV [ITV], Cingiz Aslanov, said that generally they did not broadcast French films even before.

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