Baku / 24.01.18 / Turan: All fundamental freedoms are ensured in Azerbaijan, and criticism of human rights violations comes from certain circles in the West.
This was said by President Ilham Aliyev, speaking on January 23 at a debate within the framework of the Davos Economic Forum.
"I think that this criticism is unfounded. If you look at the essence of the issue, it turns out that all fundamental freedoms, including freedom of the press, are ensured in Azerbaijan. The press is completely free. 80% of the population is Internet users. If the Internet is free, there is no censorship, and the absolute majority of the population is Internet users, then there is no reason to talk about restricting press freedom," he said.
"Why, in this case, is Azerbaijan at the 162nd place on freedom of the press in the world?" asked the moderator of the debate.
"It has political reasons. It has no connection with reality. This classification is built on an extremely biased approach. Sometimes this approach is malevolent. This is the result of the activities of certain political centers in the West," Aliyev said.
To clarify the moderator"s question to give specific addresses of critics, Aliyev said:
"I do not want to talk about it more specifically - it's known where it comes from. But why is this so? The reason is simple: Azerbaijan is a state that conducts an independent policy. This policy is based on our national interests. We do not get involved in any risky adventures that can create difficulties for our country.
Attempts were made to involve Azerbaijan in campaigns against certain countries. We have always remained neutral. We do not play against anyone and are not part of any risky campaign that does not meet our national interests. That is one of the reasons for the attacks. Some people consider Azerbaijan too independent for a small state. Such ratings of some NGOs are aimed at discrediting our country, undermining its authority and representing Azerbaijan as an undemocratic state. And this is absolutely not the case," he said. -02D-
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