The statement highlights that the U.S. State Department’s inclusion of Azerbaijan in a group of countries without international status (special watch list), based on assumptions of religious freedom violations in Azerbaijan, is nothing but a tool for political manipulation.
It is emphasized that annually since 2013, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom has recommended to the State Department to add Azerbaijan to the “special watch list,” spreading biased and false information against Azerbaijan. The State Committee has repeatedly made statements and protested against these inaccurate reports of the commission:
“The shortcomings presented by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom do not reflect the realities of our country and are completely contrary to the truth. Many aspects in the Commission’s reports are uninvestigated, referencing pro-Armenian sources, and sometimes intentionally misinterpreting events. This seriously undermines the objectivity of the reports, which do not correspond to the goals and objectives pursued in their preparation. Seizing this opportunity, we advise the State Department not to play into the hands of pro-Armenian forces spreading slander against Azerbaijan, to refrain from double standards, and to take steps in accordance with international law norms, based on the new realities emerging in the region.”
