Azernews.Az

By Sara Rajabova

The system of international relations has some drawbacks, which frequently become a topic of hot discussions. The dual standards are regarded as one of such unpleasant cases in the international relationships, sometimes met unambiguously by the sides.

The recent unbiased and groundless statements over Azerbaijan were not welcomed unanimously by some circles.

Maayan Jaffe, former editor of the Baltimore Jewish Times and senior editor at Netsmart, has criticized the United States for its bias against Azerbaijan in her article Congress: Support Higher Level of Press Freedoms, End Propaganda posted on RollCall website on December 10.

She considered that the U.S. remains indifferent to maligning of its closest allies, including Azerbaijan.

Jaffe urged the Congress to pay attention to this growing trend because good friends can only take so much bullying. “I asked Congress why it allows $750 million of American taxpayers’ money to fund a media outlet that is attacking our allies,” she said referring to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s bias against Azerbaijan.

She said U.S. media harshly criticizes Azerbaijan, but it runs nothing of pressure against America’s adversary, Armenia.

The U.S. recently expressed concern over the human rights and freedom of speech situation in Azerbaijan.

Jen Psaki, U.S. State Department spokesperson a while ago expressed concern of the U.S. over the human rights situation in Azerbaijan.

However, the U.S. that presents itself as a herald of human rights in the world also has serious problems in this field. The recent incidents in U.S. Fergusson city, as well as Senate report on CIA’s arrest and interrogation methods can be an obvious example of it.

The Azerbaijani officials have strongly criticized the U.S. for demonstrating double standards towards Azerbaijan, who always proved itself as a reliable partner.

Hikmet Hajiyev, the acting spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, recently said the U.S. approach to human rights in other countries, while having such problems within the country itself, shows its desire to transform human rights into a foreign policy tool and present itself as a “defender” of human rights.

While constantly voicing unfolded statements about Azerbaijan, the U.S. government turns blind eye to the cases on human rights, violation of freedom of speech and etc. in Armenia.

It also remains indifferent to violation of rights of over one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs by Armenia.

Armenia occupied over 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, after laying territorial claims against its South Caucasus neighbor that caused a brutal war in the early 1990s. Long-standing efforts by U.S., Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.

As a result of the military aggression of Armenia, over 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, 4,866 are reported missing and almost 100,000 were injured, and 50,000 were disabled.

The UN Security Council has passed four resolutions on Armenian withdrawal from the Azerbaijani territory, but they have not been enforced to this day.