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.
