The MP does not agree with the US assessment of religious tolerance in Azerbaijan

In a move likely to heighten diplomatic tensions, the United States has included Azerbaijan in a special list of countries accused of serious violations of religious freedoms. This designation opens the door to potential sanctions by the U.S. government, placing Azerbaijan alongside Algeria, the Central African Republic, the Comoros, and Vietnam, among the 12 countries listed last year.

Secretary of State Blinken, who released the report, called on governments to cease attacks on religious minority communities, end arrests for peaceful expression of ideas, and combat transnational repression and calls for violence against religious communities.

A recent report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) spotlighted Azerbaijan, stating that the government has amended its religious laws twice in the past three years, introducing new restrictions on various forms of religious activities. The report also expressed concerns about religious objects in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Jeyhun Mammadov, a member of the Milli Majlis Committee on public associations and religious organizations, responded by accusing the United States of bias. He highlighted the destruction of Azerbaijani religious sites in Karabakh over the past 30 years, claiming that the U.S. has not addressed these actions. Mammadov defended Azerbaijan's treatment of Armenian monuments in Karabakh, asserting that they are protected.

The Azerbaijani official criticized the United States for alleged double standards, pointing to the destruction of Azerbaijani mosques and cemeteries in present-day Armenia. He emphasized the misrepresentation of the Blue Mosque in Yerevan as a Persian mosque. Mammadov cited the existence of an Armenian Church in Baku's center and the preservation of Armenian literature as evidence of Azerbaijan's commitment to religious freedom.

Mammadov reassured that the Armenian Church in Karabakh is being renovated using state funds, dismissing concerns raised by the U.S. report.

As Azerbaijan faces international scrutiny over religious freedoms, the situation underscores the broader complexities in the region and the ongoing challenges in the aftermath of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.