The Washington Times printed a letter from Lorne W. Craner backing Bryza's candidacy.

He was responding to an OpEd in the same paper by Jean-Francois Julliard and Clothilde Le Coz, questioning Bryza's commitment to human rights.

"As a former assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, I have great regard for the group Reporters Without Borders. Unfortunately, the article co-written by its president, Jean-Francois Julliard ("Emissary entanglements", Opinion, 12 August) is not up to the organization's usually high standards," Craner wrote in his letter.

"In particular, the characterization of Ambassador-designate to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza as someone unconcerned with human rights is simply incorrect. In a decade of working with Mr Bryza, I have found his work on behalf of the oppressed to be unremitting, skillful and creative," Craner continued.

He did not share the concern of Julliard and Le Coz that Matthew Bryza's involvement in a complaint and suit against Azerbaijani opposition newspaper Azadlig had damaged his credibility within Azerbaijani civil society.

"The attacks against reporters described in Mr Julliard's letter are an all-too-frequent occurrence in authoritarian Azerbaijan. Blaming them on an American diplomat recalls Jeanne Kirkpatrick's 'blame America first' speech, and does not comport with Mr Bryza's efforts to advance press and other freedoms throughout Eurasia. America's myriad interests in Azerbaijan will continue if Mr Bryza is our ambassador there, and he will ensure that freedom is at the top of our agenda," Lorne Craner said.

In 2007, Azadlig editor Ganimat Zahid and correspondent Agil Khalil were sued over an article titled "Azerbaijanis Paid for Matthew Bryza's Wedding". The following year Agil Khalilov was the target of four murder attempts and has since left the country.

"The United States - and Azerbaijan's democrats - will be well-served if one of our most talented diplomats is confirmed as ambassador to Baku," Lorne Craner ended his letter.

The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on 3 August postponed until September a final vote on Matthew Bryza's candidacy as ambassador to Azerbaijan, following concern from Senator Barabara Boxer.

Bryza's candidacy is opposed by Armenian lobby groups in the USA. They say that as deputy assistant secretary of European and Eurasian affairs and an OSCE mediator on the Karabakh conflict, Matthew Bryza has shown bias towards Azerbaijan.

News.Az