Barack Obama singles out Azerbaijan

In his statement in honor of World Press Freedom Day, U.S. President Barack Obama singled out Azerbaijan among the "corner[s] of the globe" where journalists are in jail or being actively harassed:

In every corner of the globe, there are journalists in jail or being actively harassed: from Azerbaijan to Zimbabwe, Burma to Uzbekistan, Cuba to Eritrea.

The statement went mostly unnoticed in Azerbaijani media and public more preoccupied with deadly rampage at State Oil Academy which left 13 people dead. However, local oppositional newspaper Yeni Musavat in an article about this statement describes an infamous image of Zimbabwe that persists in Azerbaijan and asks:

…Zimbabwe is infamous here, as it is infamous in the world. This country is infamous for its hyperinflation, massive unemployement, massive famine and widespred illnesses. Now, it seems Zimbabwe has problems with media also.

However, let’s see what is more fair: a comparison of our country to Zimbabwe, or mentioning of Zimbabwe together with Azerbaijan. That is, who should be offended when compared to other.