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Akbar Novruz

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The Western Azerbaijan Community has strongly condemned a slanderous broadcast aired on Germany's public radio channel, Deutschlandfunk, on January 12, 2025, accusing it of spreading biased narratives against the Azerbaijani people and state.

According to Azernews, the community expressed deep concern over the broadcast, which featured an interview with known Azerbaijanophobe Tessa Hofmann. The segment allegedly perpetuated claims of illegal actions against Armenians in Azerbaijan in 1990, presenting historical events through the lens of radical Armenian nationalist narratives.

The statement criticized the broadcast for ignoring the ethnic cleansing of over a million Azerbaijanis by Armenia during the conflict, as well as the occupation, destruction of Azerbaijani territories, and eradication of cultural heritage. It also highlighted the radio channel’s silence on the ethnic cleansing of 300,000 Azerbaijanis from Armenia between 1987 and 1991, during which 216 Azerbaijanis were killed.

The Western Azerbaijan Community emphasized that instead of promoting racially discriminatory broadcasts, Deutschlandfunk should condemn Armenia's policies of racism. The community referenced the recently uncovered speech by Armenia's first president, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, which openly acknowledged that ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijanis was a state policy during his tenure.

In its statement, the community denounced the discriminatory stance of Deutschlandfunk and called on the radio’s management to take appropriate measures to address this issue. It urged the channel to avoid creating tensions in the region and to ensure balanced and unbiased reporting in the future.