CANBERRA: During the 2023 Armenian National Committee of Australia (ANC-AU) Annual Advocacy Week in November, international guest of honour Lindsey Snell met with senior representatives of the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to expose Azerbaijan’s aggressive rhetoric against the Republic of Armenia, including the recently amplified so-called ‘Western Azerbaijan’ propaganda that claims sovereign Armenian territory as the next target for Baku.
Snell, who was honoured with the ANC-AU Ben Bagdikian Media Award, during her visit, met with Geoff Bowan, Assistant Secretary for the Eastern and South-East Europe Branch of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, along with several of his departmental colleagues.
Throughout the meeting, the visiting journalist presented unseen video footage and interviews filmed during her recent fact-finding mission to Armenia highlighting the devastating consequences of the September 2023 premeditated attacks that led to the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh).
In addition, Snell presented videos from Azerbaijani state media outlets exposing the dictatorial regime’s Armenophobic rhetoric and openly broadcasted territorial ambitions on the sovereign borders of the Republic of Armenia.
Snell said the footage presented was “shocking” to Australian parliamentarians and department officials, and advised it would create even more concern amongst the general Australian public if revealed by mainstream media outlets and journalists.
At the 2023 Advocacy Week events in Australia, Snell said, “I make a commitment to the truth, I commit to continuing to film, to write, to raise awareness and to follow Azerbaijan's rhetoric.”
Armenian National Committee of Australia Executive Director, Michael Kolokossian said, “Azerbaijan may try to hide its criminal territorial ambitions against Armenia and its endemic Armenophobia on the global stage. However thanks to the work of Ms Lindsey Snell, who continues to vigorously monitor Azerbaijani state media outlets uncovering evidence of their shameful aggression and hatred, all the material is available for those who want to see it. It is our job to ensure this is not ignored and Azerbaijan's actions are appropriately denounced.”
