P24 calls for immediate release of Ismayilova

 
 
Khadija İsmailova, a prominent, award winning journalist who works for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Azerbaijani Service, has been sentenced by a court in Baku to two months of pretrial detention based on the Article 125 of the Criminal Code on charges of inciting a man to commit suicide. According to a statement issued by RFE/RL, the arrest on the charges in question follows a 60-page statement issued on Thursday by Ramiz Mehdiyev, Chief of Staff to Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, accusing Ismayilova of “defiance” and displaying a “destructive attitude toward well-known members of the Azerbaijani community” which “pleases [her] patrons abroad.”
 
RFE/RL Chief Editor Nenad Pejic ridiculed the charges saying, “The arrest and detention of Khadija Ismayilova is the latest attempt in a two-year campaign to silence a journalist who has investigated government corruption and human rights abuses in Azerbaijan. The charges brought against her today are outrageous. Khadija is being punished for her journalism."
 
The arrest of Ismayilova sparked widespread condemnation from a vast number of rights groups:
 
A statement issued by The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF), who awarded Khadija in 2012 with Courage in Journalism said there is “no doubt the arrest and charges brought against Khadija Ismayilova are a concerted attempt to silence her and stop her from investigating corruption, malfeasance in the country's government, and the unethical business dealings of Azerbaijani President's family.”
 
In response to Ismayilova’s two-month pre-trial detention Freedom House released the following statement: “Khadija Ismailova has long been a thorn in the side of the Azerbaijani government for her fearless reporting on the corruption of President Aliyev and his family,” said Robert Herman, vice president for regional programs. “Indicting her on the bizarre charge of ‘inciting attempted suicide’ shows that the government is determined to eradicate free speech and independent civil society in Azerbaijan at any cost. All charges should be dropped and Ismailova should be allowed to return to her work.”
 
Giorgi Gogia, a senior South Caucasus researcher at Human Rights Watch said, “Khadija Ismayilova is an inconvenient messenger, and her arrest fits squarely among the Azerbaijani government’s concerted efforts to silence dissenting voices,” and called for her release immediately.
 
Amnesty International called it “a blatant bid to gag free media.” John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International said, “This move has all the hallmarks of another blatant attempt to gag free media in Azerbaijan. Khadija Ismayilova is one of the last remaining independent voices in the country.”
 
Melody Party, Senior Advocacy Officer at Index on Censorship said the arrest “confirms the pattern of intimidation and harassment perpetrated by [the Azeri] authorities in an attempt to silence critical voices.”
 
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the ruling and called on “Azerbaijani authorities to stop gagging reporters through trumped-up charges and arrests, and immediately release Khadija Ismayilova.”

Khadija Ismayilova is known for her investigative work in Azerbaijan exposing President Ilham Aliyev’s family businesses. She is also radio host and investigative reporter with the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
Dissent in Azerbaijan is often met with a tough government response. Rights groups say the government has been clamping down on opponents since Aliyev's election to a third term last year.
 
Khadija Ismayilova is a brave colleague who has always stood for much-needed accountability and transparancy in Azerbaijan. Punto24 salutes Ismayilova’s work and calls for her immediate release. #FreeKhadija

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