Media Dev't Agency reacts to deportation of Azerbaijani journalist from New Caledonia

“We consider it a limitation of the journalist's right to access information and strongly condemn the fact that Aygun Hasanova, an employee of AZERTAC (Azerbaijan State News Agency) who was seconded to New Caledonia, was prevented from fulfilling her professional duties as a journalist by the official circles of this country without providing any legal grounds, was detained by the police and deported as an 'undesirable person'”, says a statement issued by the Media Development Agency of Azerbaijan, Report informs.

The statement goes on to say that the journalist’s professional activity was interfered with and she was kept under police surveillance until she boarded the plane, which suggests that the incident occurred on a political order.

This is yet another step aimed at hindering the professional activities of journalists, including Azerbaijani media representatives covering events in France, and preventing their right to access information by brutal and illegal methods.

“We demand that international organizations which have taken on a broad and serious mission of assessing the state of freedom of expression in the world, as well as the NGOs specializing in the protection of journalists' rights, express their opinion on the issue,” the statement says.