Journalist Khadija Ismailova in Azerbaijan reports that she is receiving threats

Unidentified people in Azerbaijan threaten a well-known journalist Khadija Ismailova, correspondent of Azerbaijani service of “Radio Freedom”. This was reported by Ismailova herself. She associates the threats with her journalist’s activities.

Ismailova’s statement issued today runs that on March, 7, a letter came to her home address with threats of making her intimate photos public. In particular, the sender wrote that “if she did not behave well she would be disgraced”.

“This threat was no surprise for me. I had been doing journalistic investigations for a long time, in particular, I investigated an underground business of some members of President Ilham Aliev’s family, elicited facts of corruption at the highest level, disclosed secrets of offshore business of members of the ruling family”, Ismailova’s statement runs.

She reports that she is still going on with investigation of “serious issues”. “I sent inquiries about the companies having direct connection with the ruling family to bodies of power”, Ismailova continues.

According to her, her journalist’s activities has long been a matter of the Government’s concern. Ismailova remarks that governmental newspapers publish slanderous information about her, including “absurd accusations of collaboration with foreign intelligence services”.

“I continue my activities because anyone having respect towards one’s journalist’s profession cannot do otherwise”, Ismailova declares.

The “Caucasian Knot” correspondent has not yet been able to receive any comments from law enforcement bodies concerning the journalist’s statement.

“Radio Freedom”/”Free Europe” issued a statement in connection with the threats to Ismailova. President of the corporation Stephen Corn estimated the incident as an “attempt of dirty blackmail intolerable in a civilized society”. “We are proud of Khadija and support her activities completely”, Corn said expressing an intention to have a personal meeting with Ismailova.

Khadija Ismailova is an author of a number of journalistic investigations on facts of corruption within higher level of Azerbaijani authorities. Her reportage “Whom does “Azerphone” belong to?” was acknowledged the best reportage of 2011 among almost one hundred reportages of all the services of “Radio Freedom”/”Free Europe” corporation broadcasting in 21 countries and in 28 languages.

In process of her investigation Ismailova detected that the real owners of three offshore companies mobile communications operators of “Azerphone” limited corporation of Azerbaijan were daughters of President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev Leila and Arzu Alieva.