Baku, January 15, AZERTAC

The Council of State Support for NGOs under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan has held hearings on “The state of human rights in the USA. The paradoxes of the country`s foreign policy”

The hearings involved MPs, heads of NGOs, think tanks and political parties, and experts.

In his address, chairman of the Council of State Support for NGOs Azay Guliyev said some organizations in the USA have been making biased, unfounded statements on Azerbaijan. “This contradicts the spirit of strategic relations between our countries. In its independent domestic and foreign policy, Azerbaijan protects and will further protect its national interests.” He said: “Such pressure, double standards are unacceptable and cannot influence Azerbaijan`s independent policy.”

The event heard reports on “Ethnic, racial and religious discrimination in the USA: growing xenophobia and Islamophobia”, “The system of total control of society: interference in private life, violation of the freedom of thought and press”, “Legal corruption and lobbyism as key elements of the US political system”, “The USA`s position on the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, a policy of double standards”.

Speakers said ethnic, racial and religious discrimination is growing in the USA, with the freedom of thought and press infringed. They said the USA wants to interfere with independent foreign policies of many countries, which justly raises discontent.

They said that despite being an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, Washington demonstrates double standards on the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute, with the unfair Section 907 of the United States Freedom Support Act still remaining in force. “Double standards, unfounded pressure has shaken the international community`s confidence in the United States.”

They said that Armenia has conducted more than 30 terror acts against Azerbaijan, with more than million Azerbaijanis becoming refugees and IDPs. “But the USA has exerted no pressure on Armenia.”