Azerbaijan's media development agency accuses France of smear campaign

Azerbaijan’s Media Development Agency (MEDIA) has accused several French media outlets of publishing one-sided and manipulative reporting on a criminal case, alleging that the coverage is aimed at damaging the country’s international image.

In a statement, the agency said some French publications had distorted an ordinary criminal incident, describing it as part of a broader pattern of biased reporting, Caliber.Az reports. 

“Some French media outlets have published one-sided, manipulative, and misleading materials regarding an ordinary criminal incident, which is typical of everyday life in France. These materials are clearly aimed at distorting public opinion and damaging Azerbaijan’s international image,” the statement said.

The agency further stated that the way the case was framed before and after court proceedings reflected an attempt to politicise the issue.

“The selective framing before and after the court proceedings, as well as the sensationalism surrounding the trial, clearly demonstrate that the incident is being presented within a politically motivated context,” it said.

It also noted that efforts by some media organisations to involve Azerbaijani officials in reporting on the case formed part of a coordinated campaign.

“The unsuccessful attempts by certain French media organisations to politicise this criminal case in a biased manner and to involve the names of some Azerbaijani officials are part of a systematic smear campaign against our country,” the statement added.

The agency singled out several outlets, including Revue21, TV5 Monde, Le Figaro, and Le Monde, stressing they had demonstrated sensitivity in their coverage due to proximity to French state institutions.

“It is beyond doubt that the particular ‘sensitivity’ shown by media outlets such as Revue21, TV5 Monde, Le Figaro, and Le Monde… stems from the malicious intent of certain groups that are concerned about Azerbaijan’s growing international influence,” the statement said.

The agency further argued that the reporting amounted to a breach of journalistic ethics and formed part of an organised political campaign.

“These media outlets, by deliberately and grossly violating universally accepted standards of journalistic ethics, once again demonstrate that they are instruments of an organised political campaign,” it said.

It also criticised an emphasis on nationality in coverage of criminal cases.

“While a crime is an act that entails individual responsibility, the fact that a self-proclaimed democratic state emphasises the perpetrator’s national affiliation more than the act itself indicates not the rule of law, but rather the promotion of stereotypes and discrimination,” the statement said.

The agency concluded by strongly condemning a targeted propaganda effort against Azerbaijan, carried out through manipulated information by certain French media outlets.

By Sabina Mammadli