Azerbaijan's Press Council condemns harassment of AzTV employees in France

The Press Council of Azerbaijan delivered a statement regarding the harassment of the employees of Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC on June 28 in France, Azernews reports.

The Press Council noted that the attack is stem from an intolerable attitude to freedom of speech and expression. It is not the first time that the activities of journalists who fulfill their professional duties are restricted and violence against them is happening in France. Employees of AzTV also faced such an incident while performing their official duties - filming. The reporter and the cameraman received minor injuries, and at the same time, their cameras were taken from them. Attempts to return the camera were not only unsuccessful, moreover, but media representatives were also threatened with guns.

The statement emphasized that the Azerbaijan Press Council strongly condemns the known incident. The Press Council calls on the French authorities to make a legal assessment of the fact of obvious interference in the fulfillment of legal professional duties of Azerbaijani journalists and to take necessary steps to quickly find the culprits and bring them to justice. The Council also calls on the leading organizations specialized in the protection of freedom of speech and expression and media rights in Europe and the world to keep the issue in mind and show solidarity.

The Azerbaijan Press Council states that inappropriate treatment of AzTV employees is an attack on 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.