Azerbaijan
25.05.16
Events
27MAY Brussels protest calling for Azerbaijan to #FreeKhadija!
- Event Date: 25.05.16
- Event Time: 11:19:00
UPDATE: Despite the release of Khadija Ismayilova, gatherings will still go forward, and participants will celebrate her release, call for her full acquittal, and call for the release of the country’s dozens of remaining political prisoners.
Jailed Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova will be marking her 40th birthday in prison on Friday, 27th May 2016. Arrested in December 2014, Khadija is serving a 7.5-year prison sentence in Azerbaijan on politically motivated charges of tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, and abuse of power.
The real reason for Khadija's imprisonment, however, is her work as an investigative journalist. For many years, Khadija has been one of very few journalists in Azerbaijan remaining willing to explore risky topics like human rights abuses and corruption among Azerbaijan's ruling elite. Her reporting shed light on many truths the Azerbaijani authorities would prefer to keep hidden, and she is paying a high price for her courageous work.
Khadija's arrest took place against the backdrop of an unprecedented human rights crackdown in Azerbaijan, as authorities worked aggressively to silence criticism and restrict the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. She is one of dozens of political prisoners currently detained in Azerbaijani jails.
To mark Khadija's birthday and call for her immediate and unconditional release, we are gathering in Schuman Place on Friday, 27 May from 14:00-16:00 am as part of a global action coordinated by the Sport for Rights campaign.
If you are moved by Khadija's case and want to take a stand for human rights in Azerbaijan, please join us! Let us know you're coming through this page, and invite your friends and colleagues!
For more information on the global action, check out this Facebook event page.
More information on Khadija's case can be found here.
Jailed Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova will be marking her 40th birthday in prison on Friday, 27th May 2016. Arrested in December 2014, Khadija is serving a 7.5-year prison sentence in Azerbaijan on politically motivated charges of tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, and abuse of power.
The real reason for Khadija's imprisonment, however, is her work as an investigative journalist. For many years, Khadija has been one of very few journalists in Azerbaijan remaining willing to explore risky topics like human rights abuses and corruption among Azerbaijan's ruling elite. Her reporting shed light on many truths the Azerbaijani authorities would prefer to keep hidden, and she is paying a high price for her courageous work.
Khadija's arrest took place against the backdrop of an unprecedented human rights crackdown in Azerbaijan, as authorities worked aggressively to silence criticism and restrict the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. She is one of dozens of political prisoners currently detained in Azerbaijani jails.
To mark Khadija's birthday and call for her immediate and unconditional release, we are gathering in Schuman Place on Friday, 27 May from 14:00-16:00 am as part of a global action coordinated by the Sport for Rights campaign.
If you are moved by Khadija's case and want to take a stand for human rights in Azerbaijan, please join us! Let us know you're coming through this page, and invite your friends and colleagues!
For more information on the global action, check out this Facebook event page.
More information on Khadija's case can be found here.