AZERI OFFICIAL ACCUSES NORWAY, USA OF "DOUBLE STANDARDS"

Day.Az
March 11 2008
Azerbaijan

11 March: The sharp statements issued by the Norwegian and US embassies
in Azerbaijan concerning the court ruling in the case of [opposition
editor] Qanimat Zahid are regrettable. The head of the Azerbaijani
Foreign Ministry press service, Xazar Ibrahim, made this statement
at a news conference today.

He noted that the said countries, and the international community as
a whole, did not give appropriate reaction to the bloody events in
Armenia [dispersal of opposition rally by security troops on 1 March
when people were killed].

"Considering the inappropriate reaction to the events that took place
in Armenia, such sharp reaction to developments in Azerbaijan is not
understandable. This is an indicator of double standards," he said.

[Qanimat Zahid, editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani opposition newspaper
Azadliq, was sentenced on 7 March to four years in prison on charges
of hooliganism and inflicting minor bodily harm.]