Jeyhun Osmanli cannot record a conversation on the phone

General Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation after the submission of the audio record to that authority by an MP Jeyhun Osmanli. The record allegedly contains a conversation of a journalist Khadija Ismaylova with foreigners. "Today, I passed to the General Prosecutor known to it and little-known for wide audience an audio recording of her talks," wrote Osmanli on his page on Facebook,  and added: "Treason is not forgiven!" 

On Thursday, the spokesman for the General  Prosecutor  Office, Eldar Sultanov, confirmed  the receipt of record  of Ismaylova’s conversations with foreigners. According to him, full and comprehensive investigation into this conversation by investigating and adopting decision in accordance with the law will be provided. From the recording  of Osmanli and the  comment  of the prosecutor is not clear  of what  conversation  of Ismaylova the talk is.

However, in recent days, pro-government and some  media calling itself opposition  has begun a scandal around the  meeting  of Ismaylova with two members of the staff of the U.S. Senate  at the Restaurant “Art Garden”, and  passing them a list of Azerbaijani opposition allegedly working  for power.

Ismayilova in response to  Osmanli’s statement on the transferring a record to the prosecutor, said that when the Osmanli walked into the restaurant, "We were about to leave and asked for the bill. In addition,  the distance between  our tables was long, and  even technically he  could not record the conversation," said Ismailov.

However Ismayilova  does not  exclude that the conversation could be recorded in a restaurant by  hidden microphone.

"As far as I know, the owner of the restaurant is close to the authorities. But in any case, I do not care. I do not say secretly the things which I do not say openly," said Ismayilova.

A participant  of a conversation in “Art Garden”,  about which first  wrote  Fatullayev on its website,  was director of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS ) Emin Huseynov.

He confirmed  Turan agency, that the deputy came to the restaurant when they were about to leave . " The distance between our tables was 15 meters. The room was very noisy, and Osmanli could not record our conversation on any phone," said Huseynov.

He also believes that the conversation could be recorded  by using  special devices on the part of intelligence services.

"It's no secret that the security services are spying on civil society activists and foreigners. Now  with the held of Jeyhun Osmanli they are trying to legalize  the record made illegally," said Huseynov.

Concerning the content of the conversation, it was an informal dinner,  an exchange of views on issues of concern to civil society - human rights, freedom of expression, etc.

"The way Fatullayev submitted the  content  of Khadija Ismayilova’s conversation does not reflect reality. Four or five days prior to publication Fatullayev expressed a desire to meet me and  make an interview. It alarmed me, and I wondered what  was the topic, because  dirty and false information about me  was published on  his website in recent years.

Eynulla said that  he was interested in our meeting with the Americans, and  allegedly bout the list  passed to Americans. I said that in the course of a conversation  there was not  a talk about any list. However Fatullayev did not write about it in his article. Furthermore, he did not take an interview from Ismaylova and another participant of conversation, Rashid Hajili.

The most interesting thing that a number of other media picked up the "spy scandal" , including those who call themselves the opposition, and  began to inflate the subject. They also  did not take any interview from R.Hajili. Therefore , the content of the list of "agents of power" published by  Fatullayev  among the civil society and opposition, were  sucked from the finger," said Huseynov.

In his view, the media  launches  this topic with supply  of authorities. It has three objectives: to distract  public attention from social problems and  the suicide wave (resonance self-immolations);

Discredit and punish Ismayilova for  her investigative reporting of corruption in the ruling elite; and paving the way for the adoption of the law on declaration journalists and civil society activists involved in projects, foreign agents  funded by Western donors, as it  is done in Russia, said Huseynov.—06D-