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States News Service
August 30, 2013 Friday
FREEDOM HOUSE CONDEMNS DISGUSTING ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALIST IN AZERBAIJAN
WASHINGTON
The following information was released by Freedom House:
Khadija Ismayilova, a renowned Azerbaijani investigative journalist
and an RFE/RL reporter, has been targeted in another vicious
rhetorical attack in the state-run media. Ismayilova, who has been
investigating allegations of unethical business dealings of President
Ilham Aliyev and questioning the sources of Azerbaijan's ruling family
assets, has been blackmailed and defamed a number of times over the
past year, including twice this week.
In an article entitled "Khadija's Armenian Mother Should Die"
published by the government-aligned newspaper SES on August 26,
Ismayilova's sister is accused of running a sex trafficking business,
while her mother is falsely called Armenian; both women were accused
of appearing in a pornographic film. The article also identified the
Baku district where Ismayilova's relatives live. After the publication
drew sharp criticism from the United States Embassy in Baku, SES came
back on August 29 with a new attack in a piece called "What the U.S.
can do for Khadija." The article directly points at Ismayilova's
investigative work and shames her into being "tolerant of criticism;"
it further alleges that the U.S. abused women and children in
Palestine, Egypt and Syria, and calls on the U.S. to "take Khadija,"
because "she is Armenian anyway."
Freedom House deplores the disgusting and spurious charges by the
government of Azerbaijan to try to discredit a brave, independent
voice.
August 30, 2013 Friday
FREEDOM HOUSE CONDEMNS DISGUSTING ATTACKS AGAINST JOURNALIST IN AZERBAIJAN
WASHINGTON
The following information was released by Freedom House:
Khadija Ismayilova, a renowned Azerbaijani investigative journalist
and an RFE/RL reporter, has been targeted in another vicious
rhetorical attack in the state-run media. Ismayilova, who has been
investigating allegations of unethical business dealings of President
Ilham Aliyev and questioning the sources of Azerbaijan's ruling family
assets, has been blackmailed and defamed a number of times over the
past year, including twice this week.
In an article entitled "Khadija's Armenian Mother Should Die"
published by the government-aligned newspaper SES on August 26,
Ismayilova's sister is accused of running a sex trafficking business,
while her mother is falsely called Armenian; both women were accused
of appearing in a pornographic film. The article also identified the
Baku district where Ismayilova's relatives live. After the publication
drew sharp criticism from the United States Embassy in Baku, SES came
back on August 29 with a new attack in a piece called "What the U.S.
can do for Khadija." The article directly points at Ismayilova's
investigative work and shames her into being "tolerant of criticism;"
it further alleges that the U.S. abused women and children in
Palestine, Egypt and Syria, and calls on the U.S. to "take Khadija,"
because "she is Armenian anyway."
Freedom House deplores the disgusting and spurious charges by the
government of Azerbaijan to try to discredit a brave, independent
voice.