BBC Baku office threatened with closure?

Baku/04.09.23/Turan: The biased coverage of the situation in Karabakh by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has caused serious discontent in Azerbaijan. In particular, the article titled "Nagorno-Karabakh: People faint in bread queue" and a TV programme where accusations against Azerbaijan were voiced by singer Serj Tankian and separatist Artak Beglaryan were criticised.

"The BBC, proclaimed in its charter that it 'endeavours to achieve due impartiality in all its material'." However, contrary to this, the BBC is engaged in one-sided and biased aggressive manipulation and promotion of lies in the context programme." Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, wrote about this in his Twitter account.

The Press Council of Azerbaijan also issued a statement in which it notes that the BBC, including the Azerbaijani service of this media organisation, broadcasts "biased materials and makes biased statements about the relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia" and the situation in Karabakh.

"Such a style is a blatant disregard for principles of journalism and an insult to the values of civilised media. Azerbaijani society believes that the journalism should not carry a manipulative mission and abuse freedom of speech.

The BBC and its Azerbaijani service ignore this requirement, giving a platform to Karabakh separatists, broadcasting their statements, distorting the real state of affairs, the statement says.

This structure believes that "the BBC's current approach to the realities of independent Azerbaijan is unacceptable". Either this media structure should apologise and respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our country, or its activity in Azerbaijan should be suspended and its accreditation cancelled," the Press Council statement said. -06В-