Azerbaijan Press Council condemns attack on AzTV journalists in France

The Press Council of Azerbaijan has issued a statement regarding the June 28 attack on the crew of the Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC (AzTV) in France, Report informs.

"The fact that employees of Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC were attacked in France is the result of an intolerable attitude to the freedom of speech and expression. This is not the first time that the activities of journalists, who were fulfilling their professional duties, have been restricted and violence against them has been registered in France. Representatives of AzTV have also faced such an incident while performing their official duties involving filming. A correspondent and a cameraman have received minor injuries and their camera was taken over. Attempts to regain the camera were unsuccessful and media representatives were even threatened with guns, this is said in a statement circulated by the Azerbaijan Press Council in the aftermath of an attack on employees of Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC in France on June 28.

The statement emphasizes that the Azerbaijan Press Council strongly condemns the incident. The organization calls on the French authorities to give a legal assessment to the fact of flagrant and overt interference in the fulfillment of professional duties of Azerbaijani journalists, to take necessary steps to find the culprits and bring them to justice as soon as possible. The Council also calls on leading organizations specializing in the protection of the freedom of speech and expression and media organizations of Europe and the world to keep the issue in the spotlight and show solidarity.

The Azerbaijan Press Council states that inappropriate treatment of AzTV employees represents an attack on the freedom of speech and expression, which is considered an important component of fundamental human rights and freedoms, and is a restriction of the right to receive information. The perpetrators of the incident must be held accountable so that similar negative incidents do not become a trend and are not repeated in the future," reads the statement.