Armenian Weekly. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which culminated in the fighting in Artsakh in 2020, was accompanied by an active information war. In a climate of high political tension, Baku and Ankara used media outlets, social networks and other platforms to mobilize Turkic-speaking audiences, justify their actions and discredit Armenian society. One common tactic in such environments is the spread of falsehoods and disinformation — purposeful attempts to mislead the public, particularly Armenian audiences.
Subsequent peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan have not stopped Baku from seeking to discredit Yerevan at various levels. Currently, dialogue surrounding a peaceful settlement is accompanied by efforts from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s team to undermine Armenia’s international reputation, divert attention from their own actions and gain diplomatic leverage — that is, a stronger negotiating position.
Some time ago, Azerbaijan and Turkey again used falsified material and misinformation to discredit ethnic Armenians living in Ukraine, aiming to weaken international support for Armenia and erode backing within the Armenian diaspora in the West. Telegram channels linked to Azerbaijani propaganda, including “BT NEWS” (formerly “Без тормозов,” or “Without brakes”) and “Зангезурская Автономная Республика“, (“The Zangezur Autonomous Republic”), published a video allegedly showing correspondence involving Vova Vartanov, the leader of the Armenian volunteer organization VoMA. The posts claimed the messages discussed the “transfer of stolen weapons” from Ukraine to Armenia. The material was presented as supposed evidence of terrorist activity and Armenia’s alleged “militarization.”
Vartanov publicly denied the claims on his personal Telegram channel, pointing out the gross mistakes made by Azerbaijani propagandists, whom he referred to as “Caspian Turks.” In particular, he noted inaccuracies in the imitation of his Telegram account, including incorrect photos and template messages, which indicated the propagandists’ incompetence and their haste to fabricate another anti-Armenian “sensation.”
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This is not the first time Azerbaijani propaganda has sought to discredit Armenian patriots affiliated with VoMA.
Davo Barseghyan
VoMA training center (Photo: Raffi Elliott / The Armenian Weekly, Oct. 28, 2020)