Washington rally renewed calls for the release of all political prisoners in Azerbaijan

Dozens of activists, journalists and rights defenders gathered in front of the White House on Thursday, May 26, to celebrate the birthday of journalist Khadija Ismailova as part of a global campaign to highlight the ongoing repression on independent voices in Azerbaijan.

The rally, joined by high-ranking  Congressman Jim McGovern. chair of the Lantos Human Rights Caucus, and representatives of Amnesty International USA, Freedom House, Freedom Now, RwB, CPJ, and other organizations, renewed longstanding calls for the release of all political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

In his speech, Congressman McGovern urged for Khadija's unconditional vindication and remembering other independent voices still unjustly imprisoned in Azerbaijan.

Khadija, who was released after a year and a half in prison on trumped up charges, is still serving a 3.5 years probation for the remaining two convictions that still stand against her.

In her statement Courtney Radsch, advocacy director for Committee to Protect Journalists, said that the charges against Khadija were "clearly politically motivated, designed to cease her investigation into the overwhelming corruption of Azerbaijan’s ruling elite – corruption that has been verified by the recent release of the Panama Papers.”

Khadija was only one of dozens of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, added David Kramer, senior director for human rights and democracy at the McCain Institute for International Leadership. "I'm very pleased that [Khadija] can celebrate her birthday outside of jail. But there is still tremendous amount of work to do for her and for others who are still in prison. So, we'll continue our efforts here in Washington."  

Other prominent individuals still imprisoned include journalists Nijat Aliyev, Araz Guliyev, and Seymur Hezi; bloggers Abdul Abilov, Rashad Ramazanov, and Ilkin Rustamzade; NIDA civic movement activists Giyas Ibrahimov and Bayram Mammadov; and opposition REAL movement chairman Ilgar Mammadov.

“The imprisonment of Khadija and other journalists demonstrates Azerbaijan’s attempts to silence independent voices at an unprecedented rate,” Delphine Halgand, US director of Reporters Without Borders said in a statement. “We call on the authorities to cease the legal and extra-legal harassment of journalists and media outlets immediately.”

Besides politically motivated arrests and imprisonment, the Azerbaijani authorities continue to employ a wide range of tactics as part of an aggressive crackdown to silence the country’s few remaining critical voices.

A.Raufoglu

Washington, D.C.