Department of State responds to Azerbaijani media attacks: Attempting to blame US is just distraction from their own problems
The official state newspaper Azerbaijan reacted furiously to the article of The Washington Post which raised issues about the “terrible human rights record” in Azerbaijan, news agency Turan reports.
According to Turan, the article of the newspaper Azerbaijan accused the senior officials of the US of being biased, attempting to destabilize the situation in Azerbaijan and so on. Baku perceives the constant criticism and statements regarding the violations of human rights and democracy by Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and others as Washington’s political order and intervention in internal affairs.
Further the newspaper accuses Obama and Kerry of Islamophobia. There are also direct accusations: "Strategic partnership has no value for the United States, and Mr Obama wants to turn Azerbaijan into Libya without remorse". Then newspaper Azerbaijan takes up blackmail, noting that the Azerbaijani public thinks that Baku should reconsider its relations with the United States and the West regarding the participation in the antiterrorist coalition, providing transportation corridor for NATO military and others.
During a press briefing the spokesperson for the US Department of State, Marie Harf, responded to the accusations of the official Baku about the Department of State intervening in the interior affairs of Azerbaijan. As the official website of the US Department of State reports, in answer to the question if the U.S. is doing anything to hold Azerbaijan accountable given the ongoing crackdown on civil society and the politically motivated sentence against Rasul Jafarov, Harf said that the US had made clear its disappointment.
“I think there have been times where we have raised these cases,” she said.
As for the accusations of the US trying to destabilize the situation in Azerbaijan, the Department of State spokesperson said, “I actually haven’t seen the link. I’m happy to take a look at it. And look, we are very clear when we speak up about our concerns about human rights someplace. And attempting to blame us for things or turn the tables on the United States is really just a distraction from their own situation, which we have been very concerned about in terms of the human rights there. So I just – I think we’re very clear when we disagree on human rights issues.”
According to the statement of the official representative of the US Department of State, Marie Harf, published on Department of State website, the US is deeply troubled by the decision of the Azerbaijani court, which is widely considered to be politically motivated.
“His conviction is a further setback to Azerbaijan’s democratic development. We urge the Government of Azerbaijan to abide by its international commitments and respect the rights of its citizens. As a first step, we urge the authorities to release Mr. Jafarov and others incarcerated in connection with exercising their fundamental freedoms,” the statement reads.
News agency Turan reports that the Foreign Office of the UK on behalf of Spokesperson also issued a statement condemning the sentence of Azerbaijani human rights activist Rasul Jafarov. The United Kingdom is deeply troubled by the sentencing of Jafarov to six and a half years, following questionable allegations of tax evasion, illegal business activity, and abuse of authority.
''This case has highlighted once again concerns about the selective application of the rule of law in Azerbaijan. The UK repeats its call for Azerbaijan to respect the principles of justice and reverse this worrying trend',” the statement reads.
Azerbaijani human rights defender Rasul Jafarov sentenced to 6.5 years’ imprisonment
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