BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 16.
Azerbaijan’s Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Interference and
Hybrid Threats issued a statement on the hybrid attacks directed at
the country.
According to the statement, the emergence of our state as a
"middle power" under the wise leadership of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, along with its resolute
foreign policy, growing international standing, contributions to
global energy security, strategic importance within regional
transit corridors, and domestic political and economic stability,
has led to a significant escalation in the scale of hybrid attacks
launched against Azerbaijan by foreign actors.
"Against the backdrop of ongoing wars and tensions in our
region, Azerbaijan, often characterized as an 'island of
stability', has recently been subjected to unprecedented and
synchronized religious-ideological provocations, coordinated
information operations, and cyberattacks.
Under the guise of various freedoms, our nation’s centuries-old
national-moral and multicultural values, as well as its religious
beliefs, are being targeted. Furthermore, through malicious
activities aimed at eroding the very concept of truth within
society, they are being presented with ideologies alien to the
Azerbaijani people as the correct
Joint investigations with relevant state authorities have
revealed that influence operations, aimed at manipulating public
opinion, fostering societal polarization, and undermining trust in
state institutions, as well as cyberattacks and acts of terror or
sabotage, are being orchestrated by agents of influence and
clandestine organizations both within and outside the country. In
the digital sphere, these activities are carried out through hacker
groups, foreign media outlets, real and fake accounts, and
bots.
Regrettably, hostile forces operating from the territories of
friendly and neighboring countries are injecting disinformation
into digital platforms via channels that appear independent,
seeking to create rifts within society along ethnic, religious, or
political lines. Their objective is to sow discord within the
country, turn citizens with differing viewpoints against one
another, incite violence, and undermine our state from within," the
statement noted.
The statement added that actors behind these hybrid threats
employ "computational propaganda" to confuse public opinion and
deepen societal fragmentation. They encourage individuals, across
media and social networks, to actively seek out, believe, and
disseminate false information that aligns with their existing
views.
"Content distribution driven by algorithms creates an 'echo
chamber' effect, ensuring that users encounter only information
that reflects their own pre-existing beliefs, perspectives, and
worldviews. Content designed to trigger emotional responses among
our citizens is directed toward broad audiences through the
algorithms embedded in digital platforms.
Furthermore, through the mechanism of "filter bubbles," harmful
content reaches only an audience already predisposed to receive it-
those who have already fallen under a specific influence. This
exponentially increases the effectiveness of such manipulation.
In such an environment, the actors in question, without
resorting to traditional propaganda methods, aim to promote alien
values, undermine national stability, and fragment our society from
within, all by leveraging the very infrastructure of these
platforms.
Monitoring efforts have also revealed that, despite the scale of
the malicious activities directed against Azerbaijan from certain
centers, our victorious people have maintained a firm stance; they
have refused to be swayed by provocations, have unequivocally
supported the measures taken by the state, and continue to provide
essential assistance in exposing divisive content and the
individuals behind it.
We reiterate that the Parliamentary Commission on Foreign
Interference and Hybrid Threats, along with relevant committees,
the structural units of the Secretariat, and appropriate state
institutions, are successfully countering these malicious hybrid
attacks directed against our state; furthermore, we will ensure
that no future hostile action goes unanswered.
Our commission also expresses its profound gratitude to the
citizens of friendly and neighboring countries who have condemned
these anti-Azerbaijan activities and maintained a fair stance," the
statement emphasized.
