In a statement given to AZERTAC, the Azerbaijani President`s Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov has commented on a report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which was spread in the foreign media.

Ali Hasanov said:

- Rapid development, independent internal and foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which is a constitutional, democratic state, seriously concerns some interested circles, particularly Armenia and the Armenian lobby. Reports featuring prejudiced allegations and subjective views of non-transparent organizations such as OCCRP, which are established to serve the known purposes, are prepared on anti-Azerbaijani centers` and networks` orders, and then spread in the world media. The primary goal of this campaign is to damage Azerbaijan`s healthy image and create a negative impression of the country internationally. The campaign also targets famous persons – public and political figures, officials, experts – who have a friendly attitude towards Azerbaijan and make positive comments on the country`s development, public and political life, economic achievements, and casts doubts on these persons` activities.

Investigations have revealed that one of the main authors of the report made by OCCRP is an Armenian national. At the same time, one of the co-authors of the article published by The Guardian is Dina Nagapetyan, an Armenian national. The Armenian lobby and representatives of the anti-Azerbaijani networks and media, which are influenced by the Armenian lobby, are contributing to widely spreading this material in the world media.

I would also like to emphasize that there have previously been similar prejudiced allegations against Azerbaijan, its President and his family members and efforts to organize a dirty campaign against our country, but those who ordered and executed these campaigns have failed to achieve their goals.

We once again state that the accusations made by OCCRP are prejudiced, groundless and provocative in nature and constitute a part of a dirty slander campaign organized against Azerbaijan by the known circles.