The Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia refutes its involvement in the sacking of the Lider TV channel journalist Anar Hasanov.

The press-service of the Embassy stated that the question regarding the dismissal should be addressed not to them but Lider TV, minval.az reports.

“The Embassy deals with its work, which is diplomatic. Lider TV is an independent TV channel. That is their business who to fire and hire. It is better to inquire about the journalist’s dismissal from the TV channel administration,” the statement reads.  

This Azerbaijani journalist had asked Lavrov: “What will be Moscow’s position if antiterrorist operations were to be launched at the occupied territories, and the occupying forces were to be destroyed? Would Moscow overlook this? Or would it interfere in Azerbaijan’s internal affairs?”

And, in response, the Russian FM had stated as follows: “From the viewpoint of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, it is not exclusively an internal affair of Azerbaijan.”

According to the newspaper’s source, the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Russia Polad Bülbüloğlu, who thinks that “the journalist’s question and Lavrov’s response harmed the friendly relations between the countries,” personally insisted on the journalist’s dismissal.