Continued harassment of Azeri investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova

Khadija Ismayilova, a well-known Azeri investigative reporter, continues her battle to bring to justice the culprits behind a continued smear campaign of her name in media

On her weekly talk show on Radio Azadlig – the Azeri language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Khadija Ismayilova’s  investigative reports often look into corruption allegations and business holdings of high-level government officials, something which has earned her awards in journalism, but also brought her enemies. In May 2012, for example, she uncovered that the multi-million dollar event hall constructed for the 2012 Eurovision singing competition was built in part by a subcontractor in which the governing family has hidden ownership.

The smear campaign against Khadija Ismayilova started on 7 March 2012, when she received an envelope from an anonymous sender containing explicit photos of her and her boyfriend with a note warning her “to behave or be disgraced”.  Khadija Ismayilova published the threat letter and continued her investigative work. Shortly thereafter, a secretly-recorded video of Khadija Ismayilova having sex with her boyfriend was posted on the Internet as a means of harrassment.

In April 2013 a pro-government website posted a video with explicit sexual content involving a woman resembling Khadija Ismayilova, claiming it was her. Khadija Ismayilova has stated that the video is fabricated and the smear campaign against her has continued in pro-government newspapers throughout 2013.

In a letter to the Azeri President Aliyev, International Media Support (IMS) and a number of other media development and Freedom of Expression organisations urge him to take immediate steps to ensure a prompt and thorough investigation into the threats made against Khadiya Ismayilova and her right to privacy. Read the letter here.