Fakt Yoxla
http://www.faktyoxla.info
Fakt Yoxla is a fact-checking organisation founded by the Institute for Democratic Initiatives. Its goal is to prevent manipulation in the Azerbaijani media by verifying facts, data, and information in areas including politics, economy, society, law, Covid-19, and human rights.
Although the organisation is officially registered in Georgia to avoid restrictions in Azerbaijan, its headquarter is in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. It operates in two languages: Azerbaijani and English.
Fakt Yoxla gained the public's interest when it started to analyse, fact-check, and verify the statements of the president, ministers, deputies, and other public figures on social media. About 85,000 users follow Fakt Yoxla on social media channels, with Facebook and TikTok being the most popular platforms.
As a result of successful activity on social media, Fakt Yoxla also attracted attention in pro-governmental circles. A website close to the government, faktyoxla.az, was launched in the spring of 2021. The website's domain and interface duplicate the Fakt Yoxla one, targeting opposition representatives in its activities and sharing materials that try to discredit the government's opponents.
Fakt Yoxla encountered cyberattacks several times. However, those attempts were unsuccessful in restricting the website's functioning.
The media outlet cooperates with several institutions outside the country and is a member of the International Fact-Checking Network and the Open Information Partnership. In addition, Harvard University's fact-check project Caspiana advises Fact Yoxla as a reliable resource. Fakt Yoxla also collaborates with FactCheck (Georgia) and www.stopfals.md (Moldova).
There has been a fact-checking gap in Azerbaijan for many years, and society has often been manipulated or misinformed. According to Fakt Yoxla, the website's main goal is to fill this gap. The team believes its activity contributes to politicians' public accountability, and develops facts-based and fact-supported political rhetoric.
Last updated: December 2022