This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/may/31/freed-journalist-khadija-ismayilova-azerbaijan-interview
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Freed journalist Khadija Ismayilova: 'They didn't succeed in silencing me' | Freed journalist Khadija Ismayilova: 'They didn't succeed in silencing me' |
| (3 months later) | |
| Investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova says the Azerbaijani government released her from prison after 18 months because her detention had failed to prevent other reporters from pursuing stories about high-level corruption. | Investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova says the Azerbaijani government released her from prison after 18 months because her detention had failed to prevent other reporters from pursuing stories about high-level corruption. |
| In an interview after the supreme court unexpectedly ordered her released from a Baku prison, the journalist vowed to continue her work and shrugged off fears for her safety. | In an interview after the supreme court unexpectedly ordered her released from a Baku prison, the journalist vowed to continue her work and shrugged off fears for her safety. |
| “My mother joked about this. She said: ‘When you’re in prison, you’re safer than when you’re free because they wouldn’t just kill you [in there]’,” the reporter said, speaking from her home in the capital. | “My mother joked about this. She said: ‘When you’re in prison, you’re safer than when you’re free because they wouldn’t just kill you [in there]’,” the reporter said, speaking from her home in the capital. |
| “[But] I can’t let it bother me. I’m going to continue my investigations. There is always work to do in a country like Azerbaijan where corruption is on such a large scale.” | “[But] I can’t let it bother me. I’m going to continue my investigations. There is always work to do in a country like Azerbaijan where corruption is on such a large scale.” |
| Ismayilova was detained in December 2014. In September she was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted on charges widely seen as retaliation for her award-winning reporting on the secretive wealth Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev’s family. | Ismayilova was detained in December 2014. In September she was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted on charges widely seen as retaliation for her award-winning reporting on the secretive wealth Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev’s family. |
| Her most notable investigations include a report on how Aliyev’s relatives allegedly profited in the construction of a $134m concert hall built for the 2012 Eurovision song contest in Baku. | Her most notable investigations include a report on how Aliyev’s relatives allegedly profited in the construction of a $134m concert hall built for the 2012 Eurovision song contest in Baku. |
| Evidently, the pressure put on the authorities to release me was very effective | Evidently, the pressure put on the authorities to release me was very effective |
| Amid a mounting campaign against independent media, civil society activists and opposition politicians, her arrest elicited international condemnation against the Aliyev government. | Amid a mounting campaign against independent media, civil society activists and opposition politicians, her arrest elicited international condemnation against the Aliyev government. |
| Ismayilova agreed the decision to suspend her sentence on the 25 May was unexpected given the continuing pressure on journalists and activists. | Ismayilova agreed the decision to suspend her sentence on the 25 May was unexpected given the continuing pressure on journalists and activists. |
| The US-based rights watchdog Freedom House estimates there are still more than 80 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, while at least five reporters remain jailed on a range of charges, including alleged hooliganism and drug-related offences. | The US-based rights watchdog Freedom House estimates there are still more than 80 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, while at least five reporters remain jailed on a range of charges, including alleged hooliganism and drug-related offences. |
| “I wasn’t convinced that the government was prepared to show goodwill toward political prisoners and prisoners of conscience,” she said. | “I wasn’t convinced that the government was prepared to show goodwill toward political prisoners and prisoners of conscience,” she said. |
| “But evidently, the pressure put on the authorities to release me was very effective, and the government realised in the end that holding me in prison was more costly than letting me go, and therefore they simply released me.” | “But evidently, the pressure put on the authorities to release me was very effective, and the government realised in the end that holding me in prison was more costly than letting me go, and therefore they simply released me.” |
| Ismayilova said that by arresting her, the government had clearly hoped to frighten others from investigating high-level corruption and cronyism. | Ismayilova said that by arresting her, the government had clearly hoped to frighten others from investigating high-level corruption and cronyism. |
| “This didn’t happen. There weren’t fewer [reports]. In fact, there were more. There were a greater number of investigations published both in the international media and the national press. Therefore, they didn’t succeed,” she said. | “This didn’t happen. There weren’t fewer [reports]. In fact, there were more. There were a greater number of investigations published both in the international media and the national press. Therefore, they didn’t succeed,” she said. |
| She called on Azerbaijan’s government, which denies that it has political prisoners, to allow Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, where she worked until her arrest, to reopen its Baku bureau, which was shuttered by authorities in December 2014. “It’s important for the Azerbaijani people to receive the professional and unbiased news coverage,” she said. “It’s very important for the Azerbaijani audience that the radio staff should be able to continue to work.” Ismayilova, who turned 40 just two days after her release, said she hoped others would continue to work to free the political prisoners still being held in Azerbaijan. | She called on Azerbaijan’s government, which denies that it has political prisoners, to allow Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, where she worked until her arrest, to reopen its Baku bureau, which was shuttered by authorities in December 2014. “It’s important for the Azerbaijani people to receive the professional and unbiased news coverage,” she said. “It’s very important for the Azerbaijani audience that the radio staff should be able to continue to work.” Ismayilova, who turned 40 just two days after her release, said she hoped others would continue to work to free the political prisoners still being held in Azerbaijan. |
| “My birthday wish is: keep doing whatever you can to get someone out of prison, because it is important,” she said. “It worked with me. It can work with others.” | “My birthday wish is: keep doing whatever you can to get someone out of prison, because it is important,” she said. “It worked with me. It can work with others.” |
| A version of this article first appeared on RFE/RL | A version of this article first appeared on RFE/RL |
Previous version
1
Next version