10:28, 9 April 2016

Khadija Ismayilova awarded the UNESCO World Prize

Khadija Ismayilova. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the "Caucasian Knot"

The journalist Khadija Ismayilova, convicted in Azerbaijan, was awarded the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Award for her contribution to the cause of the freedom of press.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2014 Ismayilova was detained on charges of incitement to a suicide attempt of his colleague Tural Mustafaev. Later, she was charged with a series of economic crimes. On September 1, 2015, a court in Baku sentenced the journalist to 7.5 years in prison.

Khadija Ismayilova became known for her investigations of facts of corruption in the higher echelons of power of Azerbaijan. The investigations of Ismayilova have now been confirmed the information of the "Panama archive" about the offshore businesses of the family of the president of Azerbaijan.

According to the Jury of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Award, Ismayilova has been awarded in 2016 "for her outstanding contribution to the progress of the freedom of press under difficult circumstances."

The report by Ismayilova "Whose is the 'Azerfon'?" was recognized to be the best report of 2011 among nearly 100 reports of all the services of the Corporation Radio Liberty/Free Europe, which is broadcasted in 21 countries in 28 languages. Ismayilova also became the laureate for 2012 of the Prize "Free Press of Eastern Europe" named after Gerd Bucerius.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.