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AZfront

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AZfront

AZfront is a social movement active in the South Caucasus, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe, as well as a media outlet of the same name, published on Telegram and YouTube.

As of the end of 2023, the channel boasts about 800,000 subscribers and operates in a closed format.

History

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The AZfront Telegram channel was launched on October 17, 2022. On September 21, 2023, amidst Azerbaijan's anti-terrorist operation in Karabakh, the first video was posted on the English-language YouTube channel AZfront. Within the first three months of its operation, the YouTube channel attracted 238,000 subscribers.

Activities in Israel

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In January 2023, in response to external threats and sanctions against Azerbaijan from Western countries, primarily France, 30 ministers and members of the Israeli Knesset, representing both the coalition and the opposition, signed an open letter to the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan. In this letter, Israeli parliamentarians expressed their gratitude for the decision to open the Azerbaijani embassy in Israel, hailed the Azerbaijan-Israel partnership as the cornerstone of the regional security system, and condemned the French parliament's calls for sanctions against Baku. AZfront was the first among media outlets to publish this letter on its Telegram channel.[1][2][3]

Activities in Ukraine

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AZfront provides informational support to Ukrainian intelligence services and the General Staff; notably, in October 2023, the news resource supplied compromising materials on Arayik Harutyunyan, the pro-Russian ex-president of the Armenian separatists in Karabakh. He was among the first in February 2022 to applaud Putin's decision to recognize the independence of the "DPR" and "LPR."

Furthermore, in October 2023, deputies of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expressed their support for Azerbaijan and its people concerning the complete restoration of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. Twenty deputies from the dominant party, including Olexander Yurchenko, Volodymyr Vatras, and Ihor Kryvosheev, signed a joint letter stating that “a media campaign was launched against Azerbaijan to discredit it” and that “all of Ukraine supports Azerbaijan in its fight against separatism.” The primary source of this news was the AZfront Telegram channel, as mentioned in the deputies’ statement.

Ukrainian celebrities, such as Andriy Yatsenko from the Green Gray group and Iryna Bilyk, also expressed their support for Azerbaijan, mentioning the AZfront movement in their statements.[4][5]

Activities Worldwide

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In May 2023, AZfront's reports on the intensification of military cooperation between France and Armenia and the provision of 50 French armored personnel carriers to Yerevan became a primary source in the public domain. These reports were quoted by media in Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Israel, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, Lithuania, Montenegro, Croatia, and Latvia.[6][2]

Additionally, Serbian and Russian opposition media cited exclusive news from AZfront confirming Sierra Nevada's subversive activities against Turkey. The company, directly associated with the CIA and US military for critical intelligence collection, has been implicated in operations against Turkey, particularly in Libya.[7]

In August–September 2023, 155 rabbis from Israel, Europe, the USA, Canada, Latin America, and the UK, along with about a hundred Jewish religious media and European publications, condemned the exploitation of the Holocaust theme by Armenian figures, including Prime Minister Pashinyan, in a campaign to demonize Azerbaijan. Azfront was the first to publish scans of a collective appeal from over a hundred European rabbis to the leadership of Armenia, including President Khachaturian and Prime Minister Pashinyan, as well as Israeli President Herzog. Jewish media worldwide cited the appeal, referencing AZfront as the primary source.[8][9]

Social Movement Activities

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The AZfront social movement organizes actions in France,[10] Luxembourg,[11] Iran, Armenia,[12] Austria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Ukraine,[13][14] and Germany.[15]

European Actions

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On September 24, 2023, the movement staged a rally of AZfront activists in front of the Secretariat of the European Parliament in Luxembourg.[16] The rally supported the full restoration of Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh and was a response to the increasing campaign in Europe led by representatives of the Armenian diaspora to demonize Azerbaijan.[17][18][19][20]

Ownership

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There were numerous speculations from various media outlets, including those in the US,[21] Romania,[22] Ukraine,[23] Russia[24] and Armenia,[25] on the issue. The project and its news were mentioned or discussed in publications of reputable media from the USA (such as Newsweek[26] and National Interest[27]), Great Britain,[28] Germany,[29] Romania,[30] Bulgaria,[31] Lithuania,[32][33] Moldova,[34] Greece and Ukraine. According to AZfront itself, the project is self-financed by the idea-driven part of the team and Azerbaijani businessmen.[4][5]

Charity in Ukraine

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Since December 2022, AZfront has begun providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Ukraine. At the initiative of AZfront, 15 generators, purchased with funds collected by 170 subscribers of AZfront from Baku, Sumgait, and Ganja, were delivered to the residents of Kharkiv, Kherson, and Donetsk regions.[35][36]

In February 2023, vehicles for volunteers in the Kharkiv region were purchased in the same way with the collected money. These vehicles are used for evacuating civilians from front-line settlements and delivering humanitarian cargoes.[37][38]

In March, AZfront, together with the "I Am Saved" Charity Foundation, delivered 175 food packages as humanitarian aid to the residents of the Prudyansky starostate.

In May, the AZfront team in Ukraine founded the UkrAzFront charity fund, led by Kharkiv volunteer Iрor Shytikov. At the same time, the fund delivered about 100 food packages to pensioners, low-income citizens, and children of the liberated Ukrainian city of Izium.[39][40] In June 2023, the foundation provided more than 24 tons of humanitarian aid to the residents of eastern Ukraine, including 21 tons distributed among the residents of the villages of Komyshany, Pryozerne, Semenivka in the Kherson region. The foundation delivered more than 1 ton of baby food, diapers, and other items to the regional children's hospital and the hospital in the Korabelnyi district of Kherson. In July, UkrAZfront delivered 2 tons of food products to the Ministry of Internal Affairs hospital in the Kharkiv region; another 100 food packages were received by the residents of Korobochkyne village in the Chuhuiv district, and separate assistance was provided to the nursing home in Izyum. In September of the same year, 2 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to Izyum, and another 1.4 tons of food and medicines were distributed among the residents of the city of Volchansk, which was liberated from Russian occupation in September 2022. Since September 2023, the AZfront foundation has taken under its care children from the Kharkiv region suffering from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, with over 200 kg of food packages and medicines already delivered by the foundation. To the Kherson region, which suffered in June due to the destruction of the Kakhovka Reservoir dam, 20 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered. UkrAZfront also evacuated dozens of animals from the flood zones in Kherson. They were placed in shelters in Kharkiv.[41]

In total, in 2023, on the initiative of AZfront, 65 tons of humanitarian aid were delivered to Ukraine, including food packages, baby food, diapers, and medicines.

References

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  1. ^ "В пику угрозам и санкциям: депутаты кнессета поддержали позицию Азербайджана". vesty (in Russian). 2023-01-03. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  2. ^ a b "i24NEWS". www.i24news.tv. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  3. ^ yossi (2023-09-06). "Dozens of leading Rabbis Condemn Armenian Leaders for Using Holocaust Rhetoric" [Dozens of leading Rabbis Condemn Armenian Leaders for Using Holocaust Rhetoric]. Rabbinical Center of Europe. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  4. ^ a b "Перед секретаріатом європарламенту між азербайджанськими прапорами гордо майорів жовто-синій прапор: "сепаратизм в Україні, сепаратизм в Азербайджані — одне зло" [In front of the Secretariat of the European Parliament, Between the Azerbaijani Flags, a Yellow-blue Flag Flew Proudly: "Separatism in Ukraine, Separatism in Azerbaijani is the same evil."]. 5.ua. 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b "В умовах війни Telegram-канал AZfront приймає на себе роль новітнього центру впливу" [In the conditions of war, the AZfront Telegram channel takes the role of the newest center of influence]. KP.UA (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  6. ^ "Зошто Франција го презема ризикот да ја вооружи Ерменија, сојузник на Москва и Техеран?". eureporter.co (in Macedonian). 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024. [Why is France taking the risk of arming Armenia, an ally of Moscow and Tehran?]
  7. ^ "Київ стурбований: Франція розпочала постачання озброєнь до Вірменії — AZfront" [Kyiv is worried: France has started supplying arms to Armenia — AZfront]. 5.ua. 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  8. ^ "Fransa İrəvana bu silahları göndərir" [France sends arms to Yerevan]. Axar.Az (in Azerbaijani). 2023-05-16. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  9. ^ "США вмешиваются в выборы в Турции на стороне оппозиции" [The US interferes in the Turkish elections on the side of the opposition]. БАЗА 211- ВОЕННАЯ ИСТОРИЯ - МирТесен (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  10. ^ "International Summit: "The Jews have an obligation to the Azeris in Iran"". www.israelnationalnews.com. 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  11. ^ "Сепаратизм – зло. Под стенами Европарламента прошла масштабная акция в поддержку Азербайджана" [Separatism is evil. A large-scale action in support of Azerbaijan was held under the walls of the European Parliament]. Інформатор UA (in Russian). 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  12. ^ Украина, Комментарии (2023-09-24). "Активисты AZfront ответили на подстрекательство радикальных армян" [AZfront activists responded to the incitement of radical Armenians]. Комментарии Украина (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  13. ^ "Новим транспортом українських волонтерів забезпечив азербайджанський бізнес" [Azerbaijani business provided new transport for Ukrainian volunteers]. ТСН.ua (in Ukrainian). 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  14. ^ "Пациентам дома престарелых предоставлена гуманитарная помощь" [Nursing home patients provided with humanitarian aid]. kh-news.net. 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Азербайджанський бізнес допомагає волонтерам" [Azerbaijani business helps volunteers]. KP.UA (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  16. ^ "ПЕРЕД СЕКРЕТАРІАТОМ ЄВРОПАРЛАМЕНТУ МІЖ АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНСЬКИМИ ПРАПОРАМИ ГОРДО МАЙОРІВ ЖОВТО-СИНІЙ ПРАПОР: "СЕПАРАТИЗМ В УКРАЇНІ, СЕПАРАТИЗМ В АЗЕРБАЙДЖАНІ – ОДНЕ ЗЛО!"". 5 channel (Ukraine).
  17. ^ Украина, Комментарии (2023-09-24). "Активисты AZfront ответили на подстрекательство радикальных армян". Комментарии Украина (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  18. ^ Gazeta.ua (2023-09-25). "Активисты AZfront провели митинг под секретариатом Европарламента". Gazeta.ua (in Russian). Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  19. ^ "Активисты AZfront провели митинг под секретариатом Европарламента | УНН". unn.ua (in Russian). 2024-02-22. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  20. ^ "AZfront протестує проти засилля вірменської пропаганди в ЄС". Телеграф (in Ukrainian). 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  21. ^ Bokhari, Kamran (2023-05-28). "The Brewing Crisis on Iran's Northern Flank" [The Brewing Crisis on Iran’s Northern Flank]. The National Interest. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  22. ^ "Livrările armelor franceze către Armenia reprezintă o amenințare pentru Ucraina și Israel, citează presa ucraineană" [French arms deliveries to Armenia pose a threat to Ukraine and Israel, Ukrainian media cites]. Stiri pe surse (in Romanian). 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  23. ^ "Хто замінює пресу на війні: Telegram-канал AZfront набирає обертів" [Who replaces the press in the war: Telegram channel AZfront is gaining momentum]. Апостроф (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  24. ^ "Даешь ударный RUSfront!" [Let's hit RUSfront!]. kp.ru. 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  25. ^ "Как Азербайджан взращивает пропагандистские каналы в Telegram" [How Azerbaijan is raising propaganda channels on Telegram] (in Russian). 2022-11-10. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  26. ^ Analyst, Joseph Epstein (2023-08-22). "A Disappearing Lake Leads to Dangerous Protests in Iran". Newsweek. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  27. ^ Bokhari, Kamran (2023-05-28). "The Brewing Crisis on Iran's Northern Flank". The National Interest. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  28. ^ "Israel contemplates supporting South Azerbaijan's independence from Iran | Zrombesh زرمبش". baluch.us. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  29. ^ "Iran, Aserbaidschan und Israel". Jüdisches Europa (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  30. ^ "AZfront - un centru alternativ de putere care operează de la Luxemburg la Teheran" [AZfront - an alternative power center operating from Luxembourg to Tehran]. www.digi24.ro (in Romanian). 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  31. ^ Chalenko, Igor (2023-04-28). "Israel mulls supporting South Azerbaijan's independence from Iran: Ukraine should pay attention". The Sofia Globe. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  32. ^ ""AZfront" yra alternatyvus galios centras, veikiantis nuo Liuksemburgo iki Teherano" [AZfront is an alternative powerhouse operating from Luxembourg to Tehran]. www.alfa.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  33. ^ AlmantasS. "Planuoja suskaldyti Iraną: atsirastų dar viena valstybė, būtų didelis smūgis Putinui :: Kaip mes gyvename" [Plans to divide Iran: another state would emerge, it would be a big blow to Putin]. www.technologijos.lt (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  34. ^ "Israelul a lansat un plan de declarare a independenței Azerbaidjanului de Sud. Parlamentarii s-au adresat lui Eli Cohen" [Israel launched a plan to declare the independence of South Azerbaijan. The parliamentarians addressed Eli Cohen]. Stiri de ultima ora din Moldova - Ultimele stiri Timpul.md (in Romanian). 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
  35. ^ "Підписники азербайджанського Telegram-каналу зібрали майже $40 тис. на 15 генераторів для України". gordonua.com. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  36. ^ "Азербайджанці надіслали до України 15 генераторів". Телеграф (in Ukrainian). 2022-12-27. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  37. ^ "Азербайджанцы собирают средства для украинцев, - СМИ". ФОКУС (in Russian). 2022-12-28. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  38. ^ "Конфликт в Карабахе и война в Украине: как и украинцы, азербайджанцы борются за свою землю". Today.ua (in Ukrainian). 2022-12-30. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  39. ^ "Новим транспортом українських волонтерів забезпечив азербайджанський бізнес". ТСН.ua (in Ukrainian). 2023-02-14. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  40. ^ "У Харківській області видали продуктові набори". Коментарі Україна (in Ukrainian). 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2024-02-23.
  41. ^ "Пациентам Дома престарелых предоставлена гуманитарная помощь".
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