MEDIA issues statement on fake news-based material published in Austrian newspaper “Der Standard”

The Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (MEDIA) has issued a statement on a fake news-based story published in the October 21 issue of Austrian newspaper “Der Standard”, Report informs referring to AZERTAC.

The statement says: “Austrian newspaper “Der Standard” published a report headlined “Danger of ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh” in its issue of October 21, 2023.

The author of the story, TV journalist Jo Angerer, without conducting any research, presented various details as facts and created a wrong idea about the local anti-terror measures Azerbaijan conducted on its own territory on 19 September in full accordance with the norms and principles of international law. Instead of emphasizing the significance and essence of the news in order to guide the audience, the journalist turned a part of the article with comments into a subject of manipulation, violated the journalistic principle of impartiality by not taking into account the opinion of the other side, and prepared a lop-sided story that does not objectively reflect the current situation in the region.

Official authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan respect the right of all journalists to access information, regardless of the media entity in which they work and country they represent, and are always ready to respond promptly to journalistic requests. We would like to emphasize that neither “Der Standard” newspaper nor Jo Angerer personally has addressed relevant public authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan regarding the local anti-terror measures.

It should be noted that the fictitious theory of the death of civilians during the local anti-terror measures is fake news published by the mentioned newspaper. In particular, the article does not take into account the opinion of the UN mission, which has repeatedly visited the region at the invitation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the fact that no damage was caused to the civilian population during the local anti-terror measures and that no such facts were recorded. We would like to recall that the teams of the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other international organizations have not confirmed a single case of expulsion of residents of Armenian origin or use of force against them by the armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Also, people of Armenian origin, in their numerous statements given to international media travelling to the region, as well as the leading media outlets of Armenia, repeatedly stressed the fact that no damage was done to the peaceful population.

We, the Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, regret the publication of a piece in “Der Standard” newspaper that distorts reality on the basis of personal, subjective political considerations that are completely incompatible with journalistic ethics and professionalism. We call on this newspaper to prepare a story on the current political realities in the region, taking into account the official position of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”