Azeri lawmakers decry European Parliament resolution
The Milli Majlis (Azerbaijani parliament) has adopted an appeal to
the European Parliament protesting at the pounding criticism
expressed in its December 17 resolution over the situation with
freedom of speech and expression in Azerbaijan.
The appeal said the resolution has been met with concern and disappointment in the country.
"Azerbaijan is cooperating with the European Union and placing an emphasis on democratic values. Human rights protection is one of the country’s paramount goals. No one can divert us from this path. Our future hinges on democratic development. We hope that the European Parliament, when considering issues on Azerbaijan, will not take as a basis the principle of generalizing isolated instances while setting aside the main trends prevailing in the country," the statement said.
It also said the Azerbaijani parliament deems the resolution as an attempt to hurt the image of Azerbaijan, a democratic state, labeling the document as biased.
The opposition Musavat party opposed the parliament’s appeal. Panah Huseyn, one of the MPs representing Musavat, said the party supports the European Parliament’s resolution.
The resolution claimed that the environment for the media has worsened in the country in recent years. It alleged that some TV and radio companies have suspended their operation; the leading newspapers have been evicted from their offices; the media have faced numerous lawsuits; and journalists have been subjected to physical attacks. This has caused journalists to feel intimidated and exercise self-censorship, the European lawmakers maintained. The European Parliament also decried the removal of the BBC, Radio Liberty and Voice of America radio stations from FM waves from 2009 and called for an immediate release of the imprisoned journalists.
Vice-Speaker Valeh Alasgarov has condemned the resolution.
"If the European Parliament at least once passed a resolution on protecting the rights of a million refugees and displaced persons in Azerbaijan [ousted from their homes during the armed conflict with Armenia in the early 1990s], its concerns over freedom of speech in the country would be understandable," Alasgarov told parliament Friday.*
The appeal said the resolution has been met with concern and disappointment in the country.
"Azerbaijan is cooperating with the European Union and placing an emphasis on democratic values. Human rights protection is one of the country’s paramount goals. No one can divert us from this path. Our future hinges on democratic development. We hope that the European Parliament, when considering issues on Azerbaijan, will not take as a basis the principle of generalizing isolated instances while setting aside the main trends prevailing in the country," the statement said.
It also said the Azerbaijani parliament deems the resolution as an attempt to hurt the image of Azerbaijan, a democratic state, labeling the document as biased.
The opposition Musavat party opposed the parliament’s appeal. Panah Huseyn, one of the MPs representing Musavat, said the party supports the European Parliament’s resolution.
The resolution claimed that the environment for the media has worsened in the country in recent years. It alleged that some TV and radio companies have suspended their operation; the leading newspapers have been evicted from their offices; the media have faced numerous lawsuits; and journalists have been subjected to physical attacks. This has caused journalists to feel intimidated and exercise self-censorship, the European lawmakers maintained. The European Parliament also decried the removal of the BBC, Radio Liberty and Voice of America radio stations from FM waves from 2009 and called for an immediate release of the imprisoned journalists.
Vice-Speaker Valeh Alasgarov has condemned the resolution.
"If the European Parliament at least once passed a resolution on protecting the rights of a million refugees and displaced persons in Azerbaijan [ousted from their homes during the armed conflict with Armenia in the early 1990s], its concerns over freedom of speech in the country would be understandable," Alasgarov told parliament Friday.*
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