BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 3
Trend:
NGOs of Azerbaijan appealed to International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), International Press Institute, Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters without Borders, International Federation of Journalists, European Federation of Journalists, International News Safety Institute, International Media Support in connection with the pressuring of international media outlets and journalists objectively covering the military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing the appeal.
"We would like to inform you that between September 27 – October 31, 2020, 91 civilians were killed and 404 were injured as a result of Armenia's ballistic and prohibited cluster missile attacks on Azerbaijani cities and regions far from the combat zone. Such war crimes committed by Armenia have been widely covered by the world media," the appeal said.
"However, the Armenian diaspora threatens and puts serious pressure on media outlets, journalists and public activists who cover the truth about the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, disseminate objective information, and even demonstrate a neutral position and do not meet the interests of Armenia and the Armenian diaspora. The Armenian lobby is threatening with death, pressurising and insulting journalists who take an objective and neutral position on the conflict, trying to suppress free speech," the appeal said.
"One such example is about the report by Ms. Liseron Budul, a journalist of the French TF1 channel. Thus, during her visit to Azerbaijan, Ms. Budul witnessed Armenia's artillery and missile fire on our civilians in Ganja, Barda, Tartar and other densely populated areas, preparing an objective report on this," the appeal said.
"Following the report, members of the Armenian lobby in France launched a total attack and pressure on Ms. Liseron Budul and TF1, threatening to kill the journalist. As a result, TF1 was forced to stop broadcasting the report and delete it from the system," the appeal said.
"Ms. Carlotta Gall, a correspondent for the NY Times in Istanbul, was similarly subjected to moral and political terror by Armenians. Thus, the newspaper's editorial office and the journalist faced serious pressure and threats from the Armenians for covering the massacre of the civilian population of Azerbaijan with a ballistic missile by Armenia," the appeal said.
"One of the most concerning and surprising facts is the growing number of open threats by the Armenian lobby to the balanced report on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and lack of adequate reaction against the backdrop of the characterization of the caricature of the prophet of one of the world's three heavenly religions by the French magazine “Charlie Hebdo” as a freedom of speech," the appeal said.
"We are deeply concerned about the fact that the Armenian lobby has declared open war on freedom of speech, expression, and the principles of objectivity, unbiasedness and impartiality of journalism," the appeal said.
"We believe that the attempts of the Armenian lobby to silence the independent media around the world should concern you, first of all, as international media institutions, and you should openly protest against this illegality," the appeal said.
"As NGOs working on protection of the rights of journalists and the media in Azerbaijan, we call on you to protest against such incidents and to prevent the Armenian lobby's attempts to silence free speech," the appeal said.