We hope that the release of M.Aliyev will serve as a beginning for positive approach to human rights: US ambassador

Baku / 14.09.17 / Turan: The US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta expressed hope that the release of the director of the Turan news agency, Mehman Aliyev, from custody will be the beginning of a positive approach to human rights in Azerbaijan. He drew attention to the statements of the US State Department in the case of Aliyev after his arrest and after the release, which called for the cessation of the criminal prosecution of the journalist and the agency Turan."Mehman Aliyev is a professional and experienced journalist. We expressed concern about his arrest. We positively assess his release and hope that this positive turn will become a kind of the beginning of a positive approach in general to issues of democracy and human rights in Azerbaijan,"Cekuta said in an interview with the Azerbaijani service of the Voice of America.The ambassador said that the US is interested in long-term close cooperation with Azerbaijan."The United States wants to see Azerbaijan as an independent, democratic, flourishing state," he said.According to him, the US-Azerbaijan partnership is based on three equivalent directions: economy, security and democracy, human rights and the rule of law.Answering the question about the legislative initiative in the US Senate regarding the introduction of sanctions against Azerbaijan in connection with the criminal prosecution of Aliyev and the Turan agency, the ambassador confirmed that a "draft of such a proposal" has indeed been put forward in the Upper House of Congress.

"As we said before, in the US legislative power acts independently of the executive. The issue is still at the preliminary stage of the process. The project remains an offer. So far, I cannot say anything else,"said Cekuta.-03B06--