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PRESS-SECRETARY OF THE PRESIDENT: "IN FACT, IN ISRAEL, THE SITUATION RELATED TO JOURNALISTIC ACTIVITY IS DEPLORABLE"
APA, Azerbaijan
Dec 22 2014
[ 22 December 2014 22:44 ]
The fact that official bodies have not reacted to such articles gives
grounds to say that it is an official order.
Baku-APA.Press-Secretary of the President of Azerbaijan Azer Gasimov
commented on the articles of Israeli newspapers about Azerbaijan.
"Indeed, taking into account government-media relations in Israel,
one can see that it is no coincidence. In particularly, the fact that
official bodies have not reacted to such articles gives grounds to say
that it is an official order. Concerning the articles in Haaretz and
Jerusalem Post newspapers I would like to say that they are strongly
biased, far from journalistic ethics, slanderous, and are nothing
but nonsense. Undoubtedly such articles were funded by the forces
that have been carrying out an anti-Azerbaijani campaign recently,
and it is an absolute order. Pretending to be defending the rights
of Khadija Ismayilova, these articles, in reality, are nothing but
defamation of general development processes in Azerbaijan. The authors
of these articles would be better focusing their attention on violation
of human rights, the freedom of speech and conscience, in general,
democratic principles, and other negative cases in their own countries.
In fact, in Israel itself, the situation related to journalistic
activity is deplorable. If we look at reports of international
organizations, we can see that they regularly highlight cases of the
Israeli security forces` violent treatment of journalists, including
their arrests and beating. This year`s events are enough to prove this.
On March 7, 2014, a representative of Agence France-Presse was
assaulted, while security forces stood by and just watched the
incident. On March 11, 2014 the security forces prevented journalists
from documenting a protest demonstration and fired at them. According
to Associated Press, the same day two journalists who wanted to
document protests in Al Quds were assaulted. Employees of Reuters
and Associated Press were severely beaten.
Frequent imposition of censorship on the press in Israel, bans on free
movement of journalists in Israel can be added here. Interestingly,
in the World Press Freedom Index, Israel fell from 36th place in 2004
to 112th in 2013. There are regular reports of serious corruption in
the highest government circles of the country. Deprivation of equal
rights of citizens in Israel, including education opportunities,
cases of social discrimination are the problems which seriously
concern the society.
I think that the authors of these articles and those who are behind
these writings, in fact, seriously defame Israel`s international
image. Those who ordered these articles certainly set themselves a goal
to spoil Israeli-Azerbaijani relations. These forces do not want to see
Azerbaijan`s strengthening positions on the international scene, its
great achievements in ensuring democracy, and traditions of tolerance
and multiculturalism, which can be an example to many countries.
Azerbaijan is pursuing an independent foreign policy and builds its
relations with all states, except for Armenia, based on the principles
of mutual respect. This, for its part, seriously concerns the forces
who are behind the aforementioned articles. They should know that
such attempts are nothing but a chimera."
http://en.apa.az/news/220772
APA, Azerbaijan
Dec 22 2014
[ 22 December 2014 22:44 ]
The fact that official bodies have not reacted to such articles gives
grounds to say that it is an official order.
Baku-APA.Press-Secretary of the President of Azerbaijan Azer Gasimov
commented on the articles of Israeli newspapers about Azerbaijan.
"Indeed, taking into account government-media relations in Israel,
one can see that it is no coincidence. In particularly, the fact that
official bodies have not reacted to such articles gives grounds to say
that it is an official order. Concerning the articles in Haaretz and
Jerusalem Post newspapers I would like to say that they are strongly
biased, far from journalistic ethics, slanderous, and are nothing
but nonsense. Undoubtedly such articles were funded by the forces
that have been carrying out an anti-Azerbaijani campaign recently,
and it is an absolute order. Pretending to be defending the rights
of Khadija Ismayilova, these articles, in reality, are nothing but
defamation of general development processes in Azerbaijan. The authors
of these articles would be better focusing their attention on violation
of human rights, the freedom of speech and conscience, in general,
democratic principles, and other negative cases in their own countries.
In fact, in Israel itself, the situation related to journalistic
activity is deplorable. If we look at reports of international
organizations, we can see that they regularly highlight cases of the
Israeli security forces` violent treatment of journalists, including
their arrests and beating. This year`s events are enough to prove this.
On March 7, 2014, a representative of Agence France-Presse was
assaulted, while security forces stood by and just watched the
incident. On March 11, 2014 the security forces prevented journalists
from documenting a protest demonstration and fired at them. According
to Associated Press, the same day two journalists who wanted to
document protests in Al Quds were assaulted. Employees of Reuters
and Associated Press were severely beaten.
Frequent imposition of censorship on the press in Israel, bans on free
movement of journalists in Israel can be added here. Interestingly,
in the World Press Freedom Index, Israel fell from 36th place in 2004
to 112th in 2013. There are regular reports of serious corruption in
the highest government circles of the country. Deprivation of equal
rights of citizens in Israel, including education opportunities,
cases of social discrimination are the problems which seriously
concern the society.
I think that the authors of these articles and those who are behind
these writings, in fact, seriously defame Israel`s international
image. Those who ordered these articles certainly set themselves a goal
to spoil Israeli-Azerbaijani relations. These forces do not want to see
Azerbaijan`s strengthening positions on the international scene, its
great achievements in ensuring democracy, and traditions of tolerance
and multiculturalism, which can be an example to many countries.
Azerbaijan is pursuing an independent foreign policy and builds its
relations with all states, except for Armenia, based on the principles
of mutual respect. This, for its part, seriously concerns the forces
who are behind the aforementioned articles. They should know that
such attempts are nothing but a chimera."
http://en.apa.az/news/220772