‘Do Not Engage with Azerbaijani Users’: What Samvel Martirosyan Advises

The hybrid war against Armenia has never ceased. It is a war that Azerbaijan conducts through various methods, from not returning prisoners to creating periodic border and informational tensions. This opinion was voiced by information security expert Samvel Martirosyan during a conversation with Sputnik Armenia, referencing recent acts of intimidation against Armenians in Artsakh by Azerbaijanis.

Even after the ceasefire on November 9, 2020, Azerbaijan did not halt its attacks on Armenian informational and media websites; these assaults continued for several months. According to Martirosyan, it is naive to expect that Azerbaijan’s state-level informational provocations will cease in the near future. “They are trying to exacerbate tensions, create an atmosphere of fear and anxiety, and reduce the population in Artsakh,” he said.

The expert advises Artsakh Armenians to take social media threats seriously, avoid engaging with Azerbaijani users, block them, and report threatening accounts. “It is essential to understand that this is part of the information warfare conducted against us and to not allow it to psychologically affect us,” Martirosyan noted.

Regarding what the authorities of Armenia and Artsakh think about the issue, Martirosyan has no information. He says it is possible that certain steps are being taken, but a state strategy is needed to address this systematic challenge, which is still not visible.

Recall that yesterday the Artsakh Prosecutor's Office released a statement noting that the actions of Azerbaijanis intending to intimidate Artsakh residents have gained new momentum. Representatives of Azerbaijan's intelligence services have issued threats of murder and vengeance against citizens of Artsakh.