Armenian Disinformation Campaign Exposed by Milli Majlis

A coordinated disinformation campaign targeting Azerbaijan’s peace efforts with Armenia has been uncovered by Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis (National Assembly), according to findings released by the country’s Temporary Commission on Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats.

The commission’s investigation revealed a sophisticated network of Armenian lobby organizations, influential foreign citizens, and media outlets working in concert to undermine Azerbaijan’s international standing and obstruct regional stability initiatives in the South Caucasus.

According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, which reported the commission’s findings, the campaign operated through encrypted messaging platforms, private email communications, and closed discussion groups to synchronize narratives on several contentious issues, including the situation in Khankendi (known as Stepanakert in Armenia) and claims regarding prisoners of war.

Digital forensic analysis conducted by the commission found substantial social media activity supporting these efforts. Over the past week alone, more than 220 posts were distributed through 130 different accounts on the X platform (formerly Twitter), generating nearly one million interactions. The commission noted that these coordinated activities primarily originated from lobby groups based in the United States, Europe, and Russia.

The timing of this disinformation campaign coincides with Azerbaijan’s ongoing efforts to normalize relations in the region following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and subsequent military operations that restored Baku’s control over the Garabagh region. Azerbaijan completed its military operation in September 2023, leading to the mass exodus of ethnic Armenians from the region, a development that has drawn international concern and criticism.

The South Caucasus has long been a flashpoint for ethnic and territorial tensions, with the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh standing as one of the former Soviet Union’s most intractable conflicts. Following the collapse of the USSR, the region saw a war in the early 1990s that resulted in Armenian forces taking control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding Azerbaijani territories.

Azerbaijan’s commission specifically highlighted how the alleged disinformation efforts have attempted to involve foreign parliamentarians and local officials from various countries in what it describes as “hybrid threats” designed to disrupt peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan.

“These coordinated attacks represent a significant challenge to the peace process,” said a commission representative. “By spreading false narratives internationally, these groups seek to create diplomatic pressure and obstruct direct dialogue between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”

Azerbaijan’s government has consistently maintained that lasting regional peace must be founded on principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty. Following its military victories, Baku has pushed for a comprehensive peace agreement with Armenia that would formally recognize current borders and establish normalized diplomatic and economic relations.

Critics of Azerbaijan’s position, however, argue that concerns about the treatment of ethnic Armenians and cultural heritage in territories now under Azerbaijani control represent legitimate issues rather than disinformation. International organizations including the United Nations and the European Union have called for transparency and humanitarian access to the region.

The Milli Majlis commission’s report comes as diplomatic efforts between Azerbaijan and Armenia continue under the observation of international mediators, including Russia, the United States, and the European Union. Recent months have seen some progress in negotiations, though significant obstacles remain.

Azerbaijani officials have emphasized that exposing these alleged disinformation networks demonstrates their commitment to protecting national interests against foreign interference while pursuing regional peace. The commission has indicated it will continue monitoring and counteracting what it describes as coordinated information warfare directed against Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and peace initiatives.