International organizations urge Azerbaijan to stop harassing journalist
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 14 August 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, International organizations urge Azerbaijan to stop harassing journalist, 14 August 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/521f467014.html [accessed 25 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
August 14, 2013
By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service
RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service correspondent Khadija Ismayilova accepts the 2012 "Courage in Journalism" award from the International Women's Media Foundation in New York in October 2012.
BAKU – Eleven leading international human rights organizations have urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to stop a blackmail campaign against Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova.
In the letter sent to the Azerbaijani leader on August 12, the rights-defending organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and others, write that a smear campaign against Ismayilova that started last year continues as investigators are hesitant to probe the situation.
In March 2012 an explicit video showing Ismayilova with her boyfriend appeared on the Internet.
Last month, a new video containing Ismayilova's intimate and illegally obtained images was leaked after she reported about Aliyev's possible involvement in improper financial activities.
The groups reminded Aliyev that his country "has unambiguous international obligations to respect and protect both the right to privacy and freedom of expression."
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
