Ministry of Transport appeals to Facebook over problems related to Azerbaijani accounts
By Ayya Lmahamad
The Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies has sent an appeal to Facebook over the blocking of Azerbaijani users’ accounts and Facebook verification problems amid the clashes near Azerbaijan’s occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region.
In an appeal sent to the social media giant, the ministry said that there are alarming trends in Facebook and Instagram as Azerbaijani users are being silenced amid the information war between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
It was noted that in order to silence Azerbaijani users, their profiles are being massively blocked. The appeal emphasized particular concern about the unjustified blocking of user profiles and pages from Azerbaijan under the influence of some pro-Armenian employees of the company.
“Another cause for concern is the lack of possibility to verify the profiles of individuals representing ethnically cleansed population of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. Their demands for verification are completely rejected without explanation,” the appeal reads.
“Given these circumstances, we hope that you will take all necessary steps to ensure that the company's capabilities are not used to silence users and that you remain impartial towards all users. This will provide a reliable virtual environment for free expression and truth,” the appeal stressed.
Additionally, the ministry required the company to appoint an appropriate coordinator to discuss these issues.
The ministry stressed that the ongoing information warfare in social networking platforms, helps Azerbaijanis reveal the truth about the ongoing clashes near occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region and expose fake news disseminated by Armenia.
Commenting on the ongoing war, the ministry stated that on September 27, Azerbaijan Armed Forces took necessary counteroffensive measures to prevent Armenian aggression and ensure security of civilians.
“We are liberating our internationally recognized territories that were occupied by Armenia in the early 1990s and were ethnically cleansed. About one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs have been waiting for about 30 years for their return to their homes,” the ministry stressed.
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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad
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