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Following the ban on the sale of newspapers in the Baku underground, the sale of books should be banned too, the Azerbaijani MP Fazil Mustafa commented on termination of the "Metroservice" company providing services connected with the sale and distribution of publications in the Baku underground, the Azerbaijani news portal "Haqqin.az" reported.

According to him, "today's realities dictate their own terms."

"I even think that in the near future we will witness the closing of all bookstores. The books, newspapers in general have become useless for the society. After achieving a mass illiteracy among the population, one had to expect such a step. If our people were inclined to reading, enlightenment, they would not find themselves in such situation. Apparently, the decision was made taking into account the wishes of the population," he noted.

According to him, this is why education and health care in Azerbaijan are in such condition, the mass illiteracy has covered the whole country. The taken decision is a natural result of the policy that is carried out, and it should be accepted normally, he said with irony.

Since November 14 it’s banned to sell newspapers and magazines at the Baku underground stations in Azerbaijan. Earlier, on October 17 the opposition newspapers "Azadlig", "Yeni Musavat" and "Gundem heber" were banned to be sold out at Baku metro stations.

According to the report of the Media Rights Institute entitled "The legal condition of the media in Azerbaijan-2012", there is a problem in Azerbaijan concerning the circulation of the printed media. If in 2011 there were 700 spots for newspapers’, in 2012, 200 kiosks were eliminated. The new kiosks refuse the sale of the opposition media. The large court fines against newspapers play the role of censorship too. 35 lawsuits on defamation were filed in 2012, most of them against the newspapers "Azadlig", "Yeni Musavat", "Khural" and " Gundem heber."