A similar letter to the LEPs was sent by the Presidential Apparatus. Broadcasters in Divichi, Qusar and Shamakha were shut down. TV stations in Tovuz, Zaqatala, Quba and Khachmaz were fearful of the same fate and rightly so. All these stations were officially registered but lacked the appropriate licence from the Ministry of Communications. Others were refused, which created rumours about bribes and corruption.
Journalists require accreditation to work in parliament.
This has also been the source of controversy, with journalists critical of the president or his administration being subject to removal of their accreditation. Article 37 of the law on the media was ignored on each occasion, whereby a journalist cannot have his accreditation revoked without a court order.