STATEMENT on the physical pressure to journalist Khatira Sardargizi in Brussels

According to international law and conventions to which most countries have acceded, any form of harassment of journalists while performing their professional duties is unacceptable and such kind of acts are considered as a crime. Yesterday Khatira Sardargizi, a representative of the European bureau of the Azerbaijani Real TV, was seriously injured in the head in Brussels, the capital of the Kingdom of Belgium. The journalist has been talked and there are videos confirming the facts. GLOBAL JOURNALISM COUNCIL strongly condemns those who target journalists who perform their professional duties. We consider this violence against Khatira Sardargizi as pressure on journalists all over the world. We strongly condemn this incident and demand that international organizations and human rights institutions give a legal assessment to the issue, and that the law enforcement agencies of the Kingdom of Belgium take urgent measures to identify and prosecute the perpetrators as soon as possible. We are confident that Brussels – one of the political capitals of the world, will not leave this black stain on freedom of speech and democracy, and that everything will be handled within the legal framework.