European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) warns about the prevalence of hatred and hate speech in Azerbaijan against Armenians.

When it comes to countering hate speech, ECRI shares the serious concerns expressed by other international agencies, including the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights and the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, about the use of hate speech in public that spreads racist stereotypes and perpetuates enmity, states the report published by ECRI.

According to the report, inimical narratives against Armenia are preserved in Azerbaijan, the roots of which are in the context of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Politicians, including those holding the highest positions, as well as public figures have used hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric in their public statements, and have widely disseminated them in traditional and social media as well, the ECRI report added.

In general, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance noted progress in Azerbaijan, emphasizing, however, that inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech must be combated.