Milli Majlis Accuses Russia of Anti-Azerbaijani Campaign

A large-scale anti-Azerbaijani information campaign has been launched from the territory of the Russian Federation, according to a statement from the Milli Majlis Commission on Combating External Interference and Hybrid Threats.

The campaign began immediately after an interview with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was broadcast on the Al-Arabiya TV channel in Saudi Arabia on August 27, the document notes.

"During monitoring, it was established that the response of the Azerbaijani president, based on historical facts, to the host's question about the Zangezur corridor was taken out of context and presented to the Russian reader in a falsified or distorted form," the statement continues.

The parliamentary commission notes that "the campaign, organized with the aim of inciting anti-Azerbaijani propaganda in Russian society, is carried out through TV channels, news websites, social networks, and radical individuals who have a certain influence."

"During the campaign, platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X, whose activities are banned and restricted in Russia, are widely used, as well as social media profiles and bots created on behalf of citizens of other countries," the statement emphasizes.

It states that another striking element of the campaign was the choice of the Azerbaijani segment of social networks as a means of targeted advertising and the inclusion of threatening information directed against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

"We note that such vile campaigns have no effect on public opinion in Azerbaijan. Such activities, based on false facts, only escalate incitement in Russian society and lead to unfounded animosity with neighboring states. The roots of the "Russophobia" syndrome that worries Russia should be sought in the activities of Z-bloggers," the statement says.

The Commission on Combating External Interference and Hybrid Threats, together with the relevant state bodies, "is carefully monitoring these unfriendly actions against our state and continues to take appropriate preventive measures."