Assistant to Azerbaijani President: We strongly condemn shelling of Euronews camera crew by the Armenian armed forces

"We strongly condemn shelling of the Euronews camera crew and their vehicle, who carried out their professional journalistic activities in the liberated Talish and Sugovushan villages, by the Armenian armed forces with a kornet anti-tank missile," said Assistant to Azerbaijani President, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev.

“We consider this attack by Armenia as an aggression against the freedom of speech and professional journalism. Fortunately, the missile missed the target, the crew was not injured, while their car was damaged by sharpnel.

The attack on a vehicle with a sign of Euronews by anti-tank guided missile was targeted and purposeful. You can see it clearly in the reportage of the Euronews that the missile passes over the moving vehicle (https://vimeo.com/472347741).

Earlier, Armenian armed forces subjected to fire the Azerbaijani media representatives, as a result of which journalists were injured, vehicles of media groups were damaged,” the presidential assistant said.

“The representatives of international media making reportages on military operations on the Azerbaijani side, upon return to their home countries, face verbal and physical attacks, black-mails and threats by Armenian lobby circles. In some cases, journalists, who carry out their professional activity, under pressure of the Armenian lobby have to lose their jobs. The attacks of the French Armenian lobby on the TF1 TV Channel of France and its camera crew, which prepared reportage on Azerbaijan, is an obvious example of it.

Currently, more than 70 international media representatives are working in Azerbaijan. In accordance with the operational situation, the necessary conditions are created for them to prepare reports from the front and carry out their professional activities," he added.