European Court rules in favor of journalist Khadija Ismayilova again

AZERBAIJAN, May 9, 2020 -- The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that authorities have failed to protect journalist Khadija Ismayilova’s right to privacy. CFWIJ denounces the alleged campaign of intimidation against her because of her journalistic activity.

The European Court of Human Rights concluded that Azerbaijani authorities have failed on Ismayilova’s case and did not protect her right to privacy contrarian to Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. We welcome this decision and hope that better sense will prevail for Azerbaijani authorities. 

The court on May 7 concluded that the Azerbaijani state was to pay the journalist a total of 6,000 euros ($6,500) in damages. This is the third ruling in favor of investigative journalist Ismayilova. 

She was investigating high-level corruption in Azerbaijan, involving the family of President Ilham Aliyev. Her work was used to put her behind bars for 7.5 years in 2015. She was released with a travel ban a year later. 

In March 2012, a video secretly filmed in her bedroom was shared on social media. It was then used by a pro-government newspaper to slander the journalist and label her a pornstar. A lawsuit filed by Khadija was overturned because the court felt that the writer’s freedom of expression was more important than Khadija’s privacy. 

The ECtHR ruled that Azerbaijani authorities violated her rights. It was also stated that authorities did not present any evidence to the court regarding any investigation into the case. 

CFWIJ condemns the Azerbaijani authorities’ apathy. No woman journalist should not be subjected to humiliation because of their journalistic activities. We find it absurd that the authorities used freedom of expression as an excuse to justify such a heinous attack.