Armenia and the information war

[Tigranakert]

Re: Armenia and the information war

This was surprising...

Totally not surprising. What do you expect, an average Russian (or Armenian, American, Chinese) to understand geopolitics? It is totally logical that common people name the countries where the highest percentage of ethnic Russians are living (and the one's who share most of the cultural and historical values) and these are Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine. After that, it's logical that Armenia is put in front of Azerbaijan, Georgia and all those other countries.

If you do a survey and only invited Russian politicians and military leaders to vote (thus people who have a certain knowledge of the reality), Armenia would probably take the first or second place.

[Mos]

Re: Armenia and the information war

Totally not surprising. What do you expect, an average Russian (or Armenian, American, Chinese) to understand geopolitics? It is totally logical that common people name the countries where the highest percentage of ethnic Russians are living (and the one's who share most of the cultural and historical values) and these are Kazakhstan, Belarus and Ukraine. After that, it's logical that Armenia is put in front of Azerbaijan, Georgia and all those other countries.

If you do an survey and only invited Russian politicians and military leaders to vote (thus people who have a certain knowledge of the reality), Armenia would probably take the first or second place.

I guess you have a point. But then the survey is invalid as people are choosing the countries based on the population of ethnic Russians where the question is totally different.

[Tigranakert]

Re: Armenia and the information war

I guess you have a point. But then the survey is invalid as people are choosing the countries based on the population of ethnic Russians where the question is totally different.

90% of the surveys are invalid, and irrelevant, as are 95% of the news items, especially concerning "opinions" and "thoughts".

[Federate]

Re: Armenia and the information war

Nevermind the fact that Georgia is not in the CIS, lol.

[londontsi]

Re: Armenia and the information war

International community must act on Azerbaijan crackdown

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/international-community-must-act-azerbaijan-crackdown-2011-11-16

The international community must not turn a blind eye to human rights violations in Azerbaijan, Amnesty International said today in a new report cataloguing a clampdown on dissent since protests erupted in March.

The spring that never blossomed: Freedoms suppressed in Azerbaijan details a wave of intimidation and arrests around protests against corruption and the increasing suppression of independent media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and opposition parties.

Since then, youth activists and opposition figures have been jailed on arbitrary or trumped up charges while journalists and human rights defenders have been threatened and harassed.

Amnesty International considers 17 people convicted around the time of the protests to be prisoners of conscience and asks for their immediate release.

“The clampdown has sent out a clear and calculated message - that public expression of dissent will not be tolerated, and nor will any attempt to galvanize public opinion against the current regime,” said Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International's Azerbaijan researcher.

"The European Union and other international partners of Azerbaijan must take every opportunity to press for the release of the prisoners of conscience and to put an end to the suppression of peaceful protest, critical opinion and political opposition.”

Hundreds of people gathered in the streets of the capital Baku in March and April this year demanding democratic reforms and greater respect for human rights. Inspired by mass protests in the Middle East and North Africa, opposition activists used social media to organize and disseminate information.

The Azerbaijani authorities responded by banning the protests and harassing and arresting bloggers and activists.

Following the protests 14 activists and members of opposition political parties were convicted of “organising and participating in public disorder” and sentenced to up to 3 years in prison. Amnesty International believes that there is no evidence that any of the imprisoned opposition supporters were engaged in anything more than the legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression and association in seeking to organise peaceful protests in central Baku.

The crackdown intensified the already heavy-handed approach of the authorities.

Criminal and civil defamation charges continue to be used to silence critical media, while foreign media outlets were banned from national airwaves in 2009.

Ganimat Zahid, the editor of pro-opposition newspaper Azadlig told Amnesty International: “The government is tightening the noose on any form of communication by restricting access to information, printing paper and distribution outlets for independent media thus leaving the public in informational black-out. Increasingly, we rely on social media to fill the vacuum for informed debate.”

The government is also currently considering laws that could potentially restrict web users’ access to information and criminalizing “misinformation”, further restricting online freedom of expression.

“The cumulative effect of these practices, together with the long-standing impunity of the authorities for such actions, has instilled a climate of fear and self-censorship in Azerbaijani society, which is stalling, indeed reversing, the country’s transition to a stable democracy,” said Natalia Nozadze.

“In oil-rich Azerbaijan, 20 years of independence, economic prosperity and relative stability have failed to translate into greater fundamental freedoms for its citizens while the consolidation of authoritarian rule over the last decade has been largely ignored by the outside world.”

“The Azerbaijan authorities must reverse this trend and their international partners must make it clear that they will not do deals with those who carry out human rights violations.”

[ninetoyadome]

Re: Armenia and the information war

Azerbaijani propaganda invents new national hero – Ilham of Macedon

Vesti.az, which is known for its unskillful falsifications, reported that allegedly in the program “President” on German TV channel ProSieben, presenter Thomas Nitscher declared that in 2012 Azerbaijan will already launch active military operations against Armenia.

Moreover, French President Nicolas Sarkozy allegedly said to U.S. President Barack Obama during the G20 Cannes Summit: “It is difficult to oppose Aliyev, he is like the Macedonian,” the Azerbaijani new agency wrote on behalf of the presenter, noting that Aliyev somehow reminds of the Grand Master who establishes control over the whole region.

Certainly the Azerbaijani news agency gave no link or video of the report. Moreover, it became known that there is neither a program nor a presenter of that name in the mentioned TV company.

There is no doubt that chess player Ilham of Macedon will become the hero of many anecdotes, cartoons and satirical articles. The disservice of the Azerbaijani propaganda to their supreme commander-in-chief will turn out badly more than once. However, they hardly think about the absurdity of such kind of false reports.

Meanwhile, ARTE TV channel which cooperates with Belgium, Poland, and Austria, with 94 percent of TV viewers in France and 85 percent – in Germany, aired a program on November 14 on dictatorship and violation of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. The report tells the story of Azerbaijani dissidents persecuted for criticism of the authorities, including bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, who have served their time in prison for a satirical video about Ilham Aliyev. The report also shows contrast between wealthy Baku and poverty-stricken regions of Azerbaijan. Watch the video here.

http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2011/11/18/ilham-makedonski/

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Armenia and the information war

I plan to personally desecrate this "masterpiece of modern art."

Sculptural portrait of Azerbaijan`s first lady – “Divine Muse, protectress of Azerbaijani Mugam” presented in Canada

Or it could be recycled as a symbol for the local red-light district, given the "lady's" reputation.

[ninetoyadome]

Re: Armenia and the information war

3 Armenians accused of collaborating with Azerbaijani intelligence
Monday, 21 November 2011 07:16 | | |
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TertAm -- Three Armenian citizens have been charged with high treason and three others accused of failing to report to law-enforcers that they knew that they collaborated with Azerbaijani intelligence service.
According to the website of the Office of General Prosecutor, the prosecutor overseeing that investigation has confirmed the indictment.

The investigation revealed that K. Mehrabyan, R. Matevosyan and A. Chtrkyan were recruited by officers of Azerbaijan’s intelligence service during a visit to Turkey.

The three were offered to collaborate with them in exchange for money. They received tasks to find and provide the Azerbaijani intelligence service information about armed forces in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.

The investigation also found out that Armenian citizens K. Petrosyan, A. Avetikyan, and D. Avetikyan were aware that K. Mehrabyan had agreed to find the required information and transfer it to Azerbaijani officers in exchange of payment but failed to inform Armenian law-enforcers.

The case was sent to the Court of First Instance of Yerevan’s Nork-Marash administrative district on November 15 for examination.

Original Link: http://tert.am/en/news/2011/11/21/case/

This shows the azeris are desperate and afraid of the Armenia.

[Mos]

Re: Armenia and the information war

....

[Federate]

Re: Armenia and the information war

This shows the azeris are desperate and afraid of the Armenia.

Death penalty for treason and collusion with enemies bent on our destruction... reinstate or not? Hmmm.