Arrested journalist Fatullaev thanks Obama for assessing freedom of speech in Azerbaijan

Journalist Einullah Fatullaev, who is kept in custody in Azerbaijan, has sent a letter of gratitude to US President Barrak Obama in the context of his statement on the World Day of Freedom of Press on May 3.

We remind you that in his message Mr Obama stated the existence of a serious threat to the freedom of speech in a huge space. Among the countries where the situation still remains heavy, he has named Azerbaijan, Zimbabwe, Burma, Cuba, Uzbekistan, Eritrea and others.

"It is regrettable that the president of a foreign country is raising his voice of indignation against oppression of journalists and total violation of our rights: murder of journalist Elmar Guseinov, endless arrests, publicly demonstrative beatings of journalists and publicists," says Einullah Fatullaev's letter, which was handed over by Emin Guseinov, Einullah's father, to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Einullah Fatullaev has noted that currently Azerbaijan keeps in custody four journalists-victims of the Azerbaijani government.

The text of the letter was submitted to the US Embassy in Baku.

It is necessary to note that Obama's mentioning of Azerbaijan among the countries, where the situation with the freedom of press is heavy, arouse irritation of the official Baku.

Novruz Mamedov, head of the department of international relations of President of Azerbaijan, has named Obama's criticism "biased". According to his story, this prejudiced approach to Azerbaijan is outside the policy of strategic partnership with Baku proclaimed by Washington.

Siyavush Novruzov, an MP and deputy executive secretary of the party in power "Eni Azerbaijan", accused, on May 8 at the session of the National Assembly, the US government of the policy of double standards in relation to Azerbaijan. "We had hoped that with the advent of President Obama, double standards in relation to Azerbaijan would be lifted. However, this was never done. In Armenia, the situation is much worse. After the last year's presidential election there, 10 persons were killed at the rally of the opposition. However, Armenia, for some reason, was not compared with Zimbabwe," said Novruzov.