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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The USA has responded to the criticism about press freedom in the USA by the Azerbaijani representative in the OSCE. ARMENPRESS asked the US representative in the OSCE for comments. Chargé d’Affaires of the USA to the OSCE Harry R. Kamian responded.
“We have taken into account the announcement of Azerbaijan over freedom of speech in the USA and we reserve the right to reply later. Anyway, I would like to clarify something. The USA has the most diverse and pluralistic media environment in the world. We take for serious our international commitments, including our commitments assumed in the sidelines of the OSCE regarding freedom of press and speech. They are both key American values reflected in our Constitution.
We've heard before from a number of delegations, including the Azerbaijani one, that the OSCE pays to much attention to the human dimension as compared to other dimensions that are included in the organization's comprehensive security concept. It has also been mentioned that the human dimension is used by some member states in a politicized and selective manner. Moreover, we have heard concerns by some member stated that raising human rights concerns by other member states is equivalent to intervening in the domestic affairs of those states.
I would like to thank Azerbaijan and reaffirm our commitment assumed in 1991 in Moscow, which says, “They categorically and irrevocably declare that the commitments undertaken in the field of the human dimension of the CSCE are matters of direct and legitimate concern to all participating States and do not belong exclusively to the internal affairs of the State concerned.”, reads the statement issued by Harry Kamian.
During the regular meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council Azerbaijan, known for its crackdown against journalists, criticized the limitation of freedom of press in the USA and the EU.
The Azerbaijani mission to the OSCE, forgetting about the hundreds of cases of persecuting and detaining opposition figures, tried to draw attention on violence against reporters in the USA and some EU Member States.
Interestingly, at the end of the announcement the members of the Azerbaijani mission urged the OSCE member states to “remain faithful to OSCE commitments”.