BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 16. Azerbaijan’s Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats issued a statement on the hybrid attacks directed at the country.
According to the statement, the emergence of our state as a "middle power" under the wise leadership of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, along with its resolute foreign policy, growing international standing, contributions to global energy security, strategic importance within regional transit corridors, and domestic political and economic stability, has led to a significant escalation in the scale of hybrid attacks launched against Azerbaijan by foreign actors.
"Against the backdrop of ongoing wars and tensions in our region, Azerbaijan, often characterized as an 'island of stability', has recently been subjected to unprecedented and synchronized religious-ideological provocations, coordinated information operations, and cyberattacks.
Under the guise of various freedoms, our nation’s centuries-old national-moral and multicultural values, as well as its religious beliefs, are being targeted. Furthermore, through malicious activities aimed at eroding the very concept of truth within society, they are being presented with ideologies alien to the Azerbaijani people as the correct path.
Joint investigations with relevant state authorities have revealed that influence operations, aimed at manipulating public opinion, fostering societal polarization, and undermining trust in state institutions, as well as cyberattacks and acts of terror or sabotage, are being orchestrated by agents of influence and clandestine organizations both within and outside the country. In the digital sphere, these activities are carried out through hacker groups, foreign media outlets, real and fake accounts, and bots.
Regrettably, hostile forces operating from the territories of friendly and neighboring countries are injecting disinformation into digital platforms via channels that appear independent, seeking to create rifts within society along ethnic, religious, or political lines. Their objective is to sow discord within the country, turn citizens with differing viewpoints against one another, incite violence, and undermine our state from within," the statement noted.
The statement added that actors behind these hybrid threats employ "computational propaganda" to confuse public opinion and deepen societal fragmentation. They encourage individuals, across media and social networks, to actively seek out, believe, and disseminate false information that aligns with their existing views.
"Content distribution driven by algorithms creates an 'echo chamber' effect, ensuring that users encounter only information that reflects their own pre-existing beliefs, perspectives, and worldviews. Content designed to trigger emotional responses among our citizens is directed toward broad audiences through the algorithms embedded in digital platforms.
Furthermore, through the mechanism of "filter bubbles," harmful content reaches only an audience already predisposed to receive it- those who have already fallen under a specific influence. This exponentially increases the effectiveness of such manipulation.
In such an environment, the actors in question, without resorting to traditional propaganda methods, aim to promote alien values, undermine national stability, and fragment our society from within, all by leveraging the very infrastructure of these platforms.
Monitoring efforts have also revealed that, despite the scale of the malicious activities directed against Azerbaijan from certain centers, our victorious people have maintained a firm stance; they have refused to be swayed by provocations, have unequivocally supported the measures taken by the state, and continue to provide essential assistance in exposing divisive content and the individuals behind it.
We reiterate that the Parliamentary Commission on Foreign Interference and Hybrid Threats, along with relevant committees, the structural units of the Secretariat, and appropriate state institutions, are successfully countering these malicious hybrid attacks directed against our state; furthermore, we will ensure that no future hostile action goes unanswered.
Our commission also expresses its profound gratitude to the citizens of friendly and neighboring countries who have condemned these anti-Azerbaijan activities and maintained a fair stance," the statement emphasized.