"We strongly condemn the shelling of the Euronews film crew and their vehicle by the Armenian armed forces with a cornet-type anti-tank missile in the liberated villages of Talysh and Sugovushan in Azerbaijan."
The statement came from Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President, Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration.
According to him, this attack by Armenia is assessed as an attack on free speech and professional journalism:
"Fortunately, the rocket missed the target and the film crew was not injured. The vehicle was damaged by shrapnel. The attack on the vehicle, which bears the Euronews long-range insignia, was targeted and purposeful by an anti-tank guided missile.
An Euronews report clearly shows the missile passing at close range over a moving vehicle.
Earlier, Azerbaijani media representatives were also fired upon by the Armenian armed forces, some journalists were injured and the vehicles of the film crew were damaged.
"Even when international media representatives reporting on military operations from Azerbaijan return to their countries, they face verbal and physical attacks, blackmail and threats from Armenian lobby circles.
In some cases, under the pressure of the Armenian lobby, journalists who carry out their professional activities have to lose their jobs. The attacks on the French TV channel TF1 and its film crew, which produced a report from Azerbaijan, by the French Armenian lobby are a clear example of this.
At present, more than 70 international media representatives operate in Azerbaijan. "According to the operational conditions on the frontline, they are given the opportunity to prepare reports from the frontline and carry out their professional activities," Hajiyev said.