Representatives of Azerbaijani Ombudsperson gave legal advice to Khadija Ismayilova

On December 18, the office staff of Elmira Suleimanova, the Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan, visited the SIZO (pre-trial prison), where the journalist Khadija Ismayilova is kept, and gave her legal advice.

Earlier, the human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) said that Ismayilova was arrested in Azerbaijan for political reasons and recognized her as a "prisoner of conscience".

Azerbaijani authorities deny the presence of any political motives in pursuing Ismayilova. Ali Gasanov, the head of the division of social and political issues of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, has excluded any political motives in law enforcers' actions in relation to Ismayilova and in her arrest.

According to his version, the statements of some local and international communities and organizations about the persecution of the journalist are biased and ungrounded, the TV channel "AzerTAdj" has reported.

On commission of Elmira Suleimanova, the Ombudsperson of Azerbaijan, on December 18 her staff members visited the Baku SIZO, where Ismayilova. She was provided with legal advice and acquainted with the powers of the Ombudsperson, the "Trend" reports referring to the press service of the Azerbaijani Ombudsperson.

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