BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 7.
Reports circulating in various foreign media outlets that link
Azerbaijan to the investigation concerning the former head of
Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), August Hanning, are
disinformation and are viewed as part of the intensive smear
campaign recently waged against Azerbaijan.
This was stated by the Media and Broadcasting Council of
Azerbaijan.
According to the statement, the presentation of baseless
allegations, linking Azerbaijan to the investigation in question,
to a wide audience as fact is a matter of serious concern; these
claims originated with the German publication Der Spiegel and were
subsequently circulated by Reuters, AFP, France 24, The Times, The
Telegraph, and other international media outlets. The spread of
such material without citing official sources is considered
unacceptable information manipulation.
"The malicious intent of the forces behind this disinformation
operation is to undermine the Azerbaijan-Germany relations that
have been further developing in recent times.
The Media and Broadcasting Council of Azerbaijan strongly
condemns such disinformation campaigns aimed at baselessly
portraying Azerbaijan in a negative light within the international
information space; it calls upon international media entities to
strictly adhere to the fundamental principles of professional
journalism, including accuracy, objectivity, reliance on reliable
sources, and fact-checking, and to refrain from disseminating false
information or manipulating public opinion," the Council's
statement added.
