DW’s Shameful Documentary on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict

The DW documentary “Nagorno-Karabakh: Armenia’s fight for survival” is a striking example of journalistic bias disguised as objective reporting. Rather than presenting a balanced, nuanced view of a deeply complex and long-standing geopolitical conflict, the documentary overwhelmingly adopts the Armenian narrative while marginalizing or outright ignoring the suffering and legitimate claims of the Azerbaijani people.

From the outset, the documentary is emotionally loaded in favor of Armenia. It frames the conflict as a struggle of a vulnerable nation against aggression, completely ignoring the fact that Armenia itself occupied Azerbaijani territory—recognized internationally as such—for over three decades. The suffering of over one million Azerbaijani internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees is never mentioned, let alone given the coverage it deserves. This omission is not just negligent—it’s deliberate and deceptive.

The documentary fails to acknowledge atrocities committed by Armenian forces in the early 1990s, such as the Khojaly Massacre, where hundreds of Azerbaijani civilians were brutally killed. This historical amnesia is not just biased—it’s morally reprehensible. To produce a documentary on this conflict without giving voice to Azerbaijani victims is a gross journalistic failure.

DW – Deutsche Welle – is expected to maintain a reputation for neutrality and credible reporting. However, this documentary showcases a clear editorial bias, undermining its credibility as an international media outlet. It promotes a selective victimhood narrative that serves political or ideological sympathies rather than informing the public based on facts and balanced reporting.

The documentary never highlights that Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan, including by the UN and virtually every country in the world. By omitting this fact and not showing Azerbaijan’s perspective or its efforts to reintegrate the region after the 2020 war, the creators engage in intellectual dishonesty.

The filmmakers rely heavily on dramatic music, personal testimonies, and selective footage to evoke sympathy while downplaying or ignoring the root causes of the conflict, the international legal status of the territory, and the legitimate right of return for Azerbaijani IDPs.

Conclusion

DW and the creators of this documentary have abandoned objective journalism in favor of one-sided advocacy. By giving a platform only to Armenian voices and entirely suppressing Azerbaijani suffering, they are not informing the global audience—they are manipulating it. In a conflict where both sides have endured loss, pain, and injustice, such biased storytelling only fuels further division and misunderstanding.

If DW aims to be a respected voice in international media, it must do better than produce partial, politically charged content masquerading as a documentary.

Razi Nurullayev, Azerbaijani MP, Chairperson of National Front Party