Azerbaijan condemns Russia's propaganda against Aliyev and Baku

The Azerbaijani parliament has accused Russia of launching a large-scale information campaign aimed at discrediting Baku. The Milli Majlis Commission on Countering External Interference claims that the propaganda began after President Ilham Aliyev's interview with Al-Arabiya TV channel, during which his statements about the Zangezur Corridor were deliberately distorted by Russian media, social networks and bloggers.

Baku is confident that such actions are aimed at creating a negative image of the country in Russian society, but do not influence public opinion within Azerbaijan.

"Such disgusting campaigns do not have any impact on public opinion in Azerbaijan. Such actions are aimed solely at inciting hostility in Russian society and provoking unfounded enmity with neighboring states, based on false facts. The roots of the “Russophobia” syndrome that worries Russia should be sought in the activities of “Z” bloggers,” the statement notes.

Earlier, it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered state media to launch a campaign to criticize the policies of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, which Moscow considers “anti-Russian.”

Recently, in an interview with Al Arabiya, Ilham Aliyev drew a parallel between the current conflict in Ukraine and the annexation of Azerbaijan by the Soviet Union in 1920, calling both events “a Russian invasion and occupation.”

Последние новости
Russian authorities want to impose fines for wearing the niqab
Human rights
Russian authorities want to impose fines for wearing the niqab
25 February 2026

Deputies have introduced a bill in the State Duma banning the wearing of niqabs and any other clothing that covers the face. Examples cited include the ban on wearing such clothing in Central Asian countries.

Georgia again rejected calls to join anti-Russian sanctions
Politics
Georgia again rejected calls to join anti-Russian sanctions
25 February 2026

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze criticized Brussels' demands to join sanctions against Russia. He said these calls were inappropriate, given that the EU itself is a major importer of Russian products.

Ruben Vardanyan Drops Appeal Against 20-Year Sentence in Azerbaijan
Human rights
Ruben Vardanyan Drops Appeal Against 20-Year Sentence in Azerbaijan
25 February 2026

Billionaire and former Nagorno-Karabakh state minister Ruben Vardanyan, sentenced in Baku to 20 years in prison, rejected the legal force of the ruling and dropped his appeal. His family explained that this decision stemmed from the fact that, in their view, the trial was a "staged performance" rather than a proper trial: the hearings were held behind closed doors, without access to independent observers, and the prosecution's motions were ignored. The full text of the verdict was also not released.

Azerbaijani political prisoners appeal to the European Commission to address human rights in the country
Human rights
Azerbaijani political prisoners appeal to the European Commission to address human rights in the country
25 February 2026

A group of imprisoned activists and journalists from Baku's Penal Colony No. 2 has appealed to the President of the European Commission. They demand the implementation of European Parliament resolutions calling for the release of Azerbaijani political prisoners.