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Nazrin Abdul

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The Azerbaijani Parliament’s Commission on Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats has issued an official statement condemning a large-scale information campaign allegedly launched from Russia following President Ilham Aliyev’s recent interview with Saudi Arabia’s Al Arabiya television channel, Azernews reports, citing the statement.

The statement outlines the commission’s findings and response to the situation:

“Following the broadcast of President Ilham Aliyev’s interview with Al Arabiya on August 27, a coordinated and large-scale disinformation campaign was launched from within the Russian Federation targeting Azerbaijan,” the commission said.

The commission claims that President Aliyev’s remarks - particularly his response to a question regarding the Zangezur Corridor - have been deliberately distorted and taken out of context by Russian media outlets to mislead the public and inflame anti-Azerbaijani sentiment.

According to the statement, the campaign spans multiple platforms, including Russian television channels, news websites, and social media, as well as through individuals described as holding radical and influential positions. Despite bans or restrictions on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) within Russia, these tools are reportedly being used - often through fake profiles and bots - to spread misinformation and incite hostility.

The commission also noted that targeted ads on Azerbaijani social media channels have been used to circulate threatening narratives that challenge the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

However, the commission emphasized that such hostile campaigns have had no impact on public opinion within Azerbaijan. “These provocative actions serve only to mislead the Russian public with false narratives and provoke unnecessary hostility with neighboring countries,” the statement read.

The commission also pointed to the rise of so-called “Z-bloggers” in Russia as a root cause of growing anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric and the broader "Russophobia" discourse that Russian officials claim to oppose.

The statement concluded by affirming that the Commission, in coordination with relevant state institutions, is closely monitoring these unfriendly acts and will continue implementing appropriate countermeasures to protect Azerbaijan’s national interests.