Novaya Gazeta’s latest provocation: Lies and manipulations in support of Armenian separatism Journalism or Propaganda?

If an article with such a title were published in Armenia, it would surprise no one. But in this case, we are dealing with a blatant example of deceitful, immoral, and unethical Armenian nationalism and separatism, supported by the so-called Russian liberal press.

We all remember very well how these Russian liberals actively supported Armenia and its policy of territorial claims against Azerbaijan back in the early 1990s.

And now Novaya Gazeta publishes an article titled "Did You Mistake the Addressee of the Question?" with the following subtitle: "The lawyer of Ruben Vardanyan is convinced that Trump will rescue the Baku prisoner from jail, since Russia has refused to do so." This publication is not marked as sponsored or promotional, yet it displays all the hallmarks of a paid piece.

The Vardanyan family’s willingness to generously fund all manner of scribblers has already been well-documented. To see just how far this particular outlet has sunk in terms of professional standards, beyond the bounds of decency, one need only read the opening paragraph of the referenced piece:

"Trials against Armenians continue in Baku, including former leaders of the Armenians of ‘Artsakh’ (Nagorno-Karabakh). The most well-known Azerbaijani prisoner is Ruben Vardanyan, former head of the Russian investment company ‘Troika Dialog,’ co-founder of the Moscow School of Management ‘Skolkovo,’ noted philanthropist and former state minister of the unrecognised republic of ‘Artsakh’."

No state in the world has ever recognised the existence of the so-called “Artsakh.” Therefore, this blatant disregard for Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity is particularly striking. Even the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following the disgraceful resolution adopted by the country’s Senate, was quick to clarify that its position differs—that official Paris recognises the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Moreover, the leadership of Armenia, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan himself, has repeatedly stressed that they recognise Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity, including the Karabakh economic region and its enclaves.

It was a forced step on Armenia’s part. Azerbaijan fully restored its sovereignty and territorial integrity through military and political means. Official Yerevan was simply in no position to continue its pretence of “peacefulness” while refusing to acknowledge the clear outcomes of the 44-day war and the one-day counter-terrorism operation.

But what do we see from Novaya Gazeta? A demonstration of a position that even official Yerevan has abandoned. Talk about being “more Catholic than the Pope.”

With such a concentration of lies and manipulations in just the first paragraph of this so-called article, the author could easily be nominated for the “Aurora” Prize, established by none other than Vardanyan himself. And who, after all, is the author?

A certain Aza Babayan. What a “surprise”! All that’s left for Novaya Gazeta now is to publish an article by Ruben Vardanyan’s own son, which would be about the same level of “objectivity.”

Just look at how far-fetched everything is, how the narrative is twisted to cast a completely speculative light on a legal process involving a man accused of serious crimes.

In September 2022, Ruben Vardanyan illegally crossed Azerbaijan’s state border from the territory of Armenia into the Lachin district and settled in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan, where Russian peacekeepers were temporarily stationed.

He channelled both his own funds and those of foreign nationals into the so-called “Aurora” Foundation and other organisations masquerading as “humanitarian” entities. These funds were used to supply illegal armed groups, purchasing and smuggling weapons and military equipment into Azerbaijani territory.

Moreover, Ruben Vardanyan, in his personally drafted action plan, proposed the initiation of a terrorist operation called "Nemesis-2", aimed at carrying out terrorist acts against Azerbaijani diplomats abroad and civilians fulfilling their official duties and public responsibilities. Not a single word about this appears in the Novaya Gazeta piece.

The article, which seemingly accuses the Russian leadership of occupying Ukrainian territories, also conveniently omits the fact that Vardanyan is listed in the Ukrainian Peacemaker database, with a note stating that he is subject to “immediate transfer to the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine or NATO countries.”

Ruben Vardanyan was also one of the sponsors of the ArBat battalion, which carried out criminal activities on Ukrainian territory.

Former GRU Colonel Igor Strelkov (Girkin), who led sabotage operations in Donbas in 2014, once stated that Vardanyan was one of the sponsors of the former leader of the so-called DPR, Alexander Borodai. It’s curious why there is no mention of this in Novaya Gazeta.

The article makes no reference to the real accusations against Ruben Vardanyan, which is a blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of objective journalism.

It’s worth reminding that earlier, Novaya Gazeta published a clear anti-Azerbaijani piece. The article, titled "The Doomed Village: A Report from Akhavno—a Village in Karabakh That is Transitioning to Azerbaijan Under Fire and Threats," was written by Yan Shenkman.

The message to the reader was clear: Karabakh is something separate from Azerbaijan. The implication was that our country is "taking something from the 'Akhovist' Armenians under fire and threats."

Shenkman did not inform his readers that Karabakh, including the village of Zabukh (whose name was Armenianized by the occupying forces), is part of Azerbaijan’s territory. Instead, Shenkman relentlessly hammered home the idea of "Artsakh’s" existence, just as Aza Babayan has done now.

This has become a trend, if not a tradition. Anti-Azerbaijani lies and manipulations have become something of a trademark for Novaya Gazeta.

This is not journalism. It belongs more to the realm of services offered by women of a much older profession. But that is their conscious choice. They will have to live with it.