9 december,London/Baku/Berlin/New Delhi. Khadija Rovshan qizi Ismayilova is an Azerbaijani investigative journalist and radio host who is currently working for the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as the host of a daily debate show Ishden Sonra. She is a member of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.On 5 December 2014, Ismayilova was arrested. Ismayilova was summoned to appear in the Sabail District court in Baku court on December 5 over a case in which a man accused her of causing him to attempt to commit suicide. “This move has all the hallmarks of another blatant attempt to gag free media in Azerbaijan – Khadija Ismayilova is one of the last remaining independent voices in the country,” said John Dalhuisen, Europe and Central Asia Programme Director at Amnesty International in a Press Release issued on the day of her arrest. Transparency International showed deep concerns about the b the arrest and the charges brought by a court in Azerbaijan against Khadija Ismayilova (XadicaIsmayil) and Transparency International also gave a call for her immediate release. In a Press Release issued by Transparency International Secretariat, Berlin, TI said “Ismayilova was arrested after months of harassment and sentenced to two months pre-trial detention on the charge of “inciting a man to take his life”. If convicted, she faces up to seven years in jail. The charges against Ismayilova appear flimsy at best. In February, she warned that she was in danger of arrest and that whatever charge brought against her, it would be a cover for the real reason: her investigations in to the business dealings of corruption networks in Azerbaijan.” We at Rastranews.com supports Amnesty, Transparency International for Rights of Media everywhere in the world. And we strongly condemns authorities of Baku for arresting journalist Khadija and we appeals to Baku court for her immediate release
It should be noted that the Azerbaijan is ranked 126 out of 175 in this year’s Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index with a score of 29 out of 100 indicating rampant corruption.