Rights defenders strongly condemn detention of journalist Ismayilova in Azerbaijan

The detention of the Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova was condemned by Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE Commissioner for the Freedom of Media, the international human rights organization "Index on Censorship", the Norwegian Foundation "Human Rights House", and Nenad Peyich, the editor-in-chief of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 5 in Baku Ismayilova was questioned at the Prosecutor's Office, after which the court ruled to put her in custody as the person accused of incitement to a suicide attempt of her former colleague Tural Mustafaev.

On October 21, 2014, Mustafaev drank rat poison in the Seaside National Park of Baku and was taken to hospital in grave condition, the APA News Agency reports.

Putting Ismayilova in custody is an organized intimidation, which is part of "the ongoing campaign aimed to suppress her free and critical voice" in Azerbaijan, Dunja Mijatovic said in her statement, stressing that Ismayilova's arrest followed a series of trials of journalists, bloggers and human rights activists in Azerbaijan.

The international organization for the freedom of speech named "Index on Censorship" has treated the arrest of Ismayilova as "the strengthening of authoritarian instincts of the government of President Ilham Aliev."

The persecution of Ismayilova was also condemned by the Norwegian Foundation "Human Rights House".

Let us add here that on April 9, 2013, Ismayilova was one of the ten laureates of the contest "Hero of the Caucasus-2012" held by the "Caucasian Knot".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.