December 8, 2014
U.S. HELSINKI COMMISSION CHAIRMAN DEEPLY CONCERNED BY ARREST AND DETENTION OF JOURNALIST KHADIJA ISMAYILOVA
WASHINGTON—Following Friday’s arrest and pre-trial detention of Khadija Ismayilova, investigative journalist and contributor to RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, by authorities in Azerbaijan, U.S. Helsinki Commission Chairman Senator Ben Cardin (MD) issued the following statement:
“I am deeply concerned about the detention of Ms. Ismayilova, who has been the target of unrelenting persecution by the government of Azerbaijan because of her efforts to expose corruption within the country, as well as her advocacy on behalf of political prisoners. The current charges against her are bizarre and only seem designed to silence one of the few independent voices left in Azerbaijan.
“Ms. Ismayilova was scheduled to testify in front of the U.S. Helsinki Commission on November 19, 2014, but was prevented from attending due to a government-imposed travel ban related to a different legal case. The current charge levied against Ms. Ismayilova of ‘incitement to suicide’ is just an escalation of the years of harassment by the authorities that she has endured.
“As a participating State of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Azerbaijan has committed to respecting human rights – including freedom of the media – and the U.S. Helsinki Commission once again calls on the government of Azerbaijan to live up to its promises and immediately end its harassment of all journalists, including Ms. Ismayilova.”
December 8, a group of freinds and colleagues gathered in front of Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington D.C. in support of imprisoned journalist and friend Khadija Ismayil. Postcards with Khadija Ismayil's photograph and the call on the Azerbaijani authorities to release the journalist were distributied.
Spiegel on #KhadijaIsmayil arrest and more [GER] http://t.co/dGvs5buy3r via @SPIEGELONLINE #Azerbaijan
— Arzu Geybulla (@arzugeybulla) 9.12.2014
This morning (December 9) Khadija Ismayil spoke on the phone with Azadliq Radio.
"I am being strong. You too should stay strong. I was waiting, for the government's nerves to crack at some point. It finally happened and I was arrested. Charges against me are fabricated. It is dirty smear. But despite all of this I am strong. I know, it is not easy for you. But don't give up. Continue doing your work. It is important that everyone continues doing their job. I am expecting to see new investigations from my colleagues and new initatives from rigths defenders. The work must go on".
