Dozens of apparently fake social media accounts have been targeting major art platforms with critical comments about Parisian events, appearing to promote Azerbaijan’s cultural appeal ahead of the COP29 climate summit in Baku. In October, critical comments about Paris began surfacing on X (formerly Twitter), particularly under posts from prominent galleries and art media outlets. These comments, often focused on Art Basel’s Parisian fair, labeled Paris as “dirty” and “dangerous,” while praising Azerbaijan’s culture and Baku’s appeal, writes Artnet.
Investigation traced the comments to 18 accounts with English-sounding names, mostly created in June 2022 but inactive until August. These accounts, followed primarily by bots, have since posted hundreds of comments that describe Paris as “filthy” and the 2024 Olympics as a “disaster.” Meanwhile, Azerbaijan is depicted as culturally “vibrant” and “captivating.”
The strained relationship between France and Azerbaijan, driven by France’s support for Armenia in their ongoing territorial conflict, has led to mutual accusations of interference. This has coincided with increased social media activity linked to Azerbaijan, including a recent report from the NGO Global Witness identifying 71 suspicious accounts promoting Azerbaijani government messages and downplaying human rights concerns.
French state agency Viginum has previously reported pro-Azerbaijani digital influence campaigns and misinformation targeting France. Recently, Global Witness released findings ahead of COP29 describing similar efforts on X, aimed at downplaying criticism of Azerbaijan’s record.
In response, Art Basel blocked accounts it deemed offensive, while Azerbaijan has boosted its tourism promotion, part of a broader cultural diplomacy effort supported by Italy. Both the Azerbaijani and French foreign ministries have declined to comment. As tensions rise, the situation is complicated by France’s support for Armenia and diplomatic strains, including the recent sentencing of French graffiti artist Théo Clerc in Baku. The French foreign ministry has since advised citizens against travel to Azerbaijan, citing risks of detention.
