Azerbaijani Press Council threatens to cancel country's BBC service amidst one-sided attitude

The one-sided and reality-distorting attitude of the BBC TV channel to the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as to the issues related to sending food to the Garabagh Armenians is unacceptable, Azerbaijani Press Council said.

According to the statement made by the Press Council, recently BBC TV channel, including the Azerbaijani service of this media structure, has been broadcasting biased materials regarding the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the current situation in the territory of Armenians living in the Garabagh economic region of Azerbaijan and making unfounded claims, Caliber.Az reports.

"These materials propagandise Armenian separatists in the Garabagh region, which is our sovereign territory, attempts are made to legalise their ‘activities’. All of this causes fair concern and dissatisfaction among the Azerbaijani people.

Such a line of the BBC is a clear disregard for journalistic principles. Azerbaijani society believes that journalism should not have a manipulative mission, and should not go the way of abusing the opportunities of freedom of speech.

The BBC and its Azerbaijani service ignore this demand, provide a platform to the separatist remnants in Garabagh, broadcast what they say with great zeal, and as a result, act in a biased manner, sidelining the real facts.

Our society, as well as the media community, condemn the extremely disrespectful line of BBC and its Azerbaijani service towards journalistic ethics and consider it necessary to take measures against such cases.

Either this media structure should learn to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country, apologise and prove its sincere intention by practical activity, or the activity of its Azerbaijani service should be stopped and its accreditation should be cancelled," the statement reads.