Khadija Ismailova: I peacefully protested against suppression of protests in Ismailly

The journalist Khadija Ismailova, sentenced to public works in Azerbaijan, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the documents about her administrative offence had been drawn up illegally, because policemen wrote about what had never happened. Earlier, she was fined by 400 manats (about 510 US dollars), which Ismailova had refused to pay.

"I refuse on principle to pay the fine. I believe that the dispersal of the protest action on January 26 was a violation of the Constitution on the freedom of assembly. Besides, I protest against the excessive amount of the fine for my participation in a peaceful protest. Finally, I protest against my illegal charging with an administrative offence. The police protocol was incorrect, as the policemen wrote some fantasy there, while I was just peacefully protesting against the brutal suppression of people's protests in Ismailly," said Ismailova.

Apart from Ismailova, two more activists – Tural Abbasly, the head of the youth organization of the "Musavat" Party, and Ulvi Gasanli, the leader of the movement "Free Youth", had their fines replaced by public works.

The lawyer Asabali Mustafaev believes that those sentenced to public works for taking part in peaceful actions have every right to challenge their verdict at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), as they have been punished for the exercise of the freedom of assembly, guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).