BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 10. The Azerbaijani Parliament has issued a statement condemning a hybrid attack by the international NGO Global Witness targeting the COP29 climate conference, Trend reports.
On November 8, 2024, Global Witness released two articles as part of its "investigation."
The reports, titled "COP Officials Facilitate Fossil Fuel Deals for a Fake Investor During Secret Investigation “and "COP29 for Oil Deals," referenced a virtual meeting held via Zoom with Elnur Soltanov, the CEO of COP29. The published information was aimed at misleading the international community.
A joint investigation by the Azerbaijani Parliament Commission on Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats, in cooperation with relevant authorities, confirmed that on September 13 this year, a Zoom call took place between Elnur Soltanov and a person named Stephen Lee, who claimed to represent a Hong Kong-based company. However, Soltanov was not informed that the meeting was being recorded.
It was found that Global Witness employed methods that go against the globally accepted principles for non-governmental organizations, resembling the tactics of intelligence agencies. By creating a fake company named "EC Capital Holdings," along with a fraudulent website (www.eccapitalholdings.com) and a fake LinkedIn profile for Stephen Lee, Global Witness made contact with the COP29 team. They exploited the trust of several officials, becoming part of a coordinated disinformation campaign against Azerbaijan ahead of the COP29 summit.
Notably, the BBC provided media support for Global Witness in this operation. The BBC article titled "COP29 CEO Caught on Camera Discussing Fossil Fuel Deal" revealed that the footage was recorded covertly. However, the report selectively presented only parts of the meeting, leading to potential manipulation of the information, thereby violating the principles of impartial journalism.
The Azerbaijani Parliament Commission on Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats considers the actions of Global Witness and the BBC as a hybrid attack and plans to address relevant government bodies for a more in-depth investigation of the issue.