Freedom House has placed the Map of Freedom on its official website. Along with the three independent states of the South Caucasus, the map also mentions the breakaway regions of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Nagorno-Karabakh with the indication of their respective parent countries in the parentheses. Whereas both South Ossetia and Abkhazia are referred to Georgia, Transdniester and Chechnya are referred respectively to Moldova and Russia, it is absolutely confusing, if not appalling, to notice that Nagorno-Karabakh is mentioned on Freedom House’s Map of Freedom as being part of two countries at the same time - Armenia and Azerbaijan. Obviously, Freedom House will fail to provide credible reference to any international document as a legal basis for its completely arbitrary decision, should it be asked to do so. It is interesting that even Kosovo is mentioned as part of Serbia, despite the fact that 54 UN member-states have officially recognized the new independent state on the Balkans, including the ones that provide direct funding to Freedom House. It is also interesting that Freedom House continues to consider both South Ossetia and Abkhazia to be the integral part of Georgia, despite the two regions were officially recognized by Russia and Nicaragua, whereas Nagorno-Karabakh’s affiliation only to Azerbaijan is questioned, even despite the breakaway region is not recognized even by Armenia! What makes all of a sudden Freedom House indicate Nagorno-Karabakh as being jointly part of the two countries at the same time? Which countries or international organizations have ever recognized this unalienable part of Azerbaijan to be an ‘Armenian-Azerbaijani condominium’, prompting Freedom House reflect this absurd on its so-called Map of Freedom?

Azerbaijan State Telegraph Agency (AZERTAC) protests against this gross mistake on the website of Freedom House and urges its managing board to correct the map in full compliance and accordance with the norms of international law.

Vugar Seidov

Special correspondent of AZERTAC

Berlin