Khadija Ismayilova meets her family members for first time since her arrest

For the first time after her detention in Azerbaijan, journalist Khadija Ismayilova had a chance to meet her family members: a sister visited Khadija Ismayilova at the SIZO (pre-trial prison).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Khadija Ismayilova, a staff member of the Azerbaijani office of "Radio Liberty", is accused of inciting her former colleague Tural Mustafaev to a suicide attempt.

Today, Sabina Ragimova, a sister of Khadija Ismayilova, has visited her at the Baku SIZO No.1 in the village of Kyurdakhany. According to her sister, Khadija Ismayilova maintains good spirit.

Earlier, the family members of Khadija Ismayilova have repeatedly appealed to the law enforcement authorities for permission to meet her; however, every time, they got a refusal.

Today, a note was posted on the Khadija Ismayilova' page on Facebook controlled by her friends. It states: "My mood is good, and I would like to say 'hello' to all my friends. Best wishes on Novruz Bayram. Be strong and brave."

Until present, the journalist was only allowed to phone from the SIZO, and she was not actually allowed to be visited by her family members. This was confirmed by advocate Fariz Namazly. According to him, this is a violation of the Azerbaijani law.

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