AMBASSADOR ANNE DERSE: IT IS EXPEDIENT TO PUNISH JOURNALISTS ADMINISTRATIVELY NOT CRIMINALLY

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
Aug 30 2007

The U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse visited new administrative
building of election constituency #82 during her visit to Agjabadi
region, APA’s Karabakh bureau reports. The Ambassador said that
election constituencies meeting modern standards are very important
to ensure transparency in the presidential elections in 2008. Meeting
representatives of local authorities and communities in the village
Perioglular Anne Derse held a press conference.

Taking a stance on the visit of Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to
Azerbaijan the diplomat said every country has the right to establish
warm relationships with its neighbor.

"The problem is not in Iranian president’s visit to Azerbaijan. Iran
tries to impede intervention of the international community in its
nuclear program and can not prove that this program is for peaceful
purposes. Iran has the right to implement nuclear program. But is
should not hide its main purpose from the international community,"
the Ambassador said.

Regarding the journalists’ arrest unpleasant, Anne Derse considered
it expedient to punish journalists administratively not criminally.

Ms. Derse also underlined that media and state bodies should solve
their problems by means of negotiations.

"If there is no independent and ethic media, it is impossible to
form democratic values in the society. Media in developed countries
is the active defender of human rights," she said.