Azerbaijan.US
Azerbaijani political figure Natig Jafarli has sharply criticized the stance of several Russian media platforms traditionally viewed as liberal or opposition-oriented, arguing that their reaction to recent Azerbaijani court rulings related to Karabakh mirrors the rhetoric of official imperial policy rather than democratic principles.
In public remarks, Jafarli said that outlets such as Dozhd, Echo Moskvy, and Zhivoy Gvozd have described individuals sentenced by Azerbaijani courts for crimes committed during the occupation period as “political prisoners,” a characterization he rejects as legally and morally unfounded.
According to Jafarli, the issue extends beyond media framing and reflects a deeper historical mindset within Russian political discourse toward neighboring nations. He argued that even actors positioning themselves as liberal often reproduce narratives that deny the legitimacy of post-conflict justice mechanisms outside Russia’s geopolitical sphere.
He also drew a comparison with Ukraine, suggesting that if Kyiv were to prosecute Kremlin-appointed administrators from occupied territories, international reactions from the same media ecosystem might differ significantly. The comparison highlights the broader struggle over legal interpretation and political legitimacy across post-Soviet conflicts.
The debate underscores a continuing information confrontation following the end of armed hostilities in Karabakh. While Azerbaijan frames the trials as lawful accountability for wartime crimes and separatism, critics in parts of the Russian media space interpret them through the lens of political repression-revealing a widening narrative divide that reflects deeper geopolitical tensions in the region.
