Azerbaijani President’s interview with Al-Arabiya triggers massive information campaign from Russia – STATEMENT

The Commission on Countering Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats of the Milli Majlis (Azerbaijan’s Parliament) has issued a statement regarding a massive information campaign launched against Azerbaijan from Russia following President Ilham Aliyev’s interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya television channel.

1news.media presents the statement: “The Commission on Countering Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats of the Milli Majlis states that immediately after the broadcast of President Ilham Aliyev’s interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Arabiya channel on August 27, a large-scale information campaign against our country was initiated from the territory of the Russian Federation.

Monitoring has revealed that President Ilham Aliyev’s response, based on historical facts, to a question regarding the Zangezur Corridor was taken out of context, falsified, or distorted when presented to the Russian audience.

The campaign, aimed at inciting anti-Azerbaijan sentiment in Russian society, is being conducted through television channels, news websites, social media platforms, and individuals with radical positions who hold certain influence.

It has been observed that the campaign extensively utilizes platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X, which are banned or restricted in Russia, as well as social media profiles and bots created under the names of citizens of other countries.

Another notable element of the campaign is the targeted use of Azerbaijan’s social media segment through advertisements that include threatening rhetoric against our country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

It should be noted that such repugnant campaigns have no impact on public opinion in Azerbaijan. These activities only serve to inflame Russian society with false narratives and drag it into baseless hostility with neighboring states. The roots of the ‘Russophobia’ syndrome that concerns Russia should be sought in the activities of ‘Z’ bloggers.

The Commission on Countering Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats, in collaboration with relevant state institutions, closely monitors these unfriendly actions against our state and continues to implement appropriate preventive measures.”