US State Department statement on Azerbaijan is biased State committee head says

Chairman of the Azerbaijani State Committee Work with Religious Structures Mubariz Gurbanli has said that US State Department statement on Azerbaijan is biased.

Gurbanli made the remarks while commenting on the US State Department's inclusion of several countries, including Azerbaijan, on its “special watch list” for serious violations of religious freedom or tolerance of them.

The US International Commission on Freedom of Religion annually prepares a report on the religious situation in the countries of the world, Gurbanli told APA.

“The Commission, which monitors violations of so-called religious freedoms internationally and makes recommendations to the President, Secretary of State and Congress, was founded in 1998 as an independent commission of the US federal government. The commission's members are appointed by the president and Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and Senate.

“Based on this report, the State Department makes a statement about the religious situation in certain countries. The International Commission on Religious Freedom has been disseminating biased, misleading information against Azerbaijan in its reports for several years.

We have repeatedly given appropriate explanations about the reports circulated by this commission, brought to their attention our position on issues that are biased, fabricated, not based on any facts, held meetings, and discussed these issues.

The International Commission on Religious Freedom published an extensive special report on our country in 2023 in December. All of the issues in the report were analyzed in detail by us. In a letter to the commission, we brought to their attention, point by point, the bias of the issues raised in the report and expressed our protest.

The inclusion of Azerbaijan in the ‘special watch list’ in the statement of the US State Department published in the press also refers to the document prepared by this commission. As I have already said, the document of this commission was also completely slanderous.

The very phrase about inclusion of Azerbaijan in the ‘watch list’ is incorrect and ridiculous. The voicing of such an opinion at the level of the US State Department on the basis of false data is once again a vivid example of America's hypocritical policy. This is nothing but slander against Azerbaijan," Gurbanli stressed.

Chairman of the Committee noted that Azerbaijan is recognized as a model country among all countries of the world in terms of religious tolerance and multicultural values.

“It is not only us, every person who comes to our country, studies the religious environment here, including during events, meetings we hold in foreign countries, has extensive knowledge about Azerbaijan can say this. Azerbaijan is a secular, tolerant, multicultural country.

I also note that due to the bias of the points set out in the statement of the said commission in December 2023, the leading structures of non-Muslim communities of Azerbaijan issued a special statement and sent it to this commission as a sign of protest. At the same time, the leaders of individual religious denominations located in Azerbaijan outlined their positions,” he underlined.