Antécédents de l'affaire: Khadija Ismayilova
Le 30 janvier 2018, la cour d'appel de Bakou a refusé de lever l'interdiction de voyager en vigueur contre Khadija İsmayilova.
Le 25 mai 2016, la Cour suprême d'Azerbaïdjan a ordonné la mise en liberté surveillée de l'éminente journaliste et défenseuse des droits humains Khadija Ismayilova, qui était emprisonnée depuis décembre 2014. Le tribunal n'a pas abandonné l'inculpation et elle fait donc face à 3 ans et demi de liberté surveillée, une interdiction de deux ans d'exercer son métier, une interdiction de voyager et d'autres restrictions. C'est la première fois que les autorités azerbaïdjanaises ordonnent une interdiction d'exercer une activité professionnelle contre un journaliste.
Khadija Ismayilova est une éminente journaliste et militante des droits humains en Azerbaïdjan, connue pour ses reportages d'investigation sur la corruption dans son pays, notamment sur l'implication des membres de la famille présidentielle. Avant son arrestation, Khadija avait aussi parlé de la situation des prisonniers politiques dans le pays et elle plaidait en faveur de leur libération. Elle travaille pour Radio Azadliq, une antenne locale de Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty, en Azerbaïdjan.
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- 11 Février 2018 : La cour d'appel de Bakou refuse de lever l'interdiction de voyager en vigueur contre Khadija İsmayilova
- 25 Mai 2016 : La défenseuse des droits humains Khadija Ismayilova libérée après 537 jours de prison
- 16 Octobre 2015 : Court rejects all petitions filed by Khadija Ismail's lawyers
- 2 Septembre 2015 : Update: Khadija Ismail sentenced to 7.5 years in jail
- 14 Mai 2015 : Azerbaijan - Pre-trial detention of Khadija Ismail extended
- 10 Décembre 2014 : Details of Khadija Ismail's arrest and pre-trial detention on unfounded charges
Le 30 janvier 2018, la cour d'appel de Bakou a refusé de lever l'interdiction de voyager en vigueur contre Khadija İsmayilova.
Khadija Ismaylova est une éminente journaliste et défenseuse des droits humains en Azerbaïdjan, connue pour ses reportages d'investigation sur la corruption dans son pays, notamment sur l'implication des membres de la famille présidentielle.
Khadija İsmayilova avait été arrêtée le 5 décembre 2014 en vertu de fausses accusations; elle est accusée avoir incité une personne à se suicider (article 125 du Code pénal d'Azerbaïdjan).
Le 1 septembre 2015, le tribunal de Bakou pour les crimes graves a condamné Khadija İsmayilova. à sept ans et six mois de prison en vertu de fausses accusations de détournement de fonds, entreprise illégale et abus de pouvoir. La cour l'a acquittée de la première accusation d'incitation au suicide.
Elle a été placée en liberté surveillée le 25 mai 2016. Le tribunal n'a pas abandonné l'inculpation et elle fait donc face à 3 ans et demi de liberté surveillée, une interdiction de deux ans d'exercer son métier, une interdiction de voyager et d'autres restrictions. C'était la première fois que les autorités azerbaïdjanaises ordonnaient une interdiction d'exercer une activité professionnelle contre un journaliste.
Le 30 janvier 2018, la cour d'appel de Bakou a organisé une audience pour statuer sur l'interdiction de voyager et a confirmé l'interdiction. Khadija İsmayilova était invitée en Suède pour recevoir un prix décerné par la Right Livelihood Award Foundation, en hommage à son travail en faveur des droits humains. La défenseuse a présenté une lettre d'invitation à la cérémonie pour l'audience mais la cour a refusé de prendre en compte la lettre d’invitation. C'est la troisième fois que la cour refuse de lever l'interdiction de voyager qui pèse sur Khadija Ismayilova. La défenseuse va faire appel du verdict de la cour d'appel devant la cour suprême.
Front Line Defenders condamne le maintien de l'interdiction de voyager contre Khadija Ismayilova, car cela semble directement lié à son travail légitime et pacifique de journaliste et défenseuse des droits humains en Azerbaïdjan.
Le 25 mai 2016, la Cour suprême d'Azerbaïdjan a ordonné la mise en liberté surveillée de l'éminente journaliste et défenseuse des droits humains Khadija Ismayilova, qui était emprisonnée depuis décembre 2014. Le tribunal n'a pas abandonné l'inculpation et elle fait donc face à 3 ans et demi de liberté surveillée, une interdiction de deux ans d'exercer son métier, une interdiction de voyager et d'autres restrictions. C'est la première fois que les autorités azerbaïdjanaises ordonnent une interdiction d'exercer une activité professionnelle contre un journaliste.
Khadija Ismayilova est connue pour ses reportages d'investigation sur la corruption, notamment sur des affaires impliquant la famille du président Ilham Aliyev. Il est largement admis que les premières accusations portées contre elle - détournement de fonds et malversation, entreprise illégale et abus de pouvoir - ont été fabriquées de toute pièce pour mettre fin à son travail d'investigation pour dénoncer la corruption. En septembre 2015, un tribunal azerbaïdjanais l'a condamnée à 7 ans et demi de prison.
La décision de la Cour suprême de libérer Khadija a été prise trois jours avant la journée annuelle de la République d'Azerbaïdjan, qui sera marquée par l'amnistie et la libération de près de 3500 prisonniers inculpés pour des crimes mineurs. Étant donné que Khadija a été inculpée dans une affaire criminelle, elle n'aurait pas pu bénéficier de cette grâce.
Le 17 mars, 14 défenseurs des droits humains et militants de la société civile, dont le défenseur Rasul Jafarov, ont été libérés en vertu d'une grâce présidentielle. Deux semaines plus tard, l'avocat en droits humains Intigam Aliyev a également été libéré.
Front Line Defenders salue la décision de la Court suprême de libérer Khadija Ismayilova, mais exhorte les autorités azerbaïdjanaises à abandonner les accusations qui pèsent contre elle, à infirmer le verdict initial, à lever l'interdiction de voyager et l'interdiction d'exercer son métier, et de l'autoriser à poursuivre ses activités légitimes en faveur des droits humains et son travail journalistique.
On 15 October 2015, the Baku Court of Serious Crimes rejected all petitions filed by the defence lawyers of Azerbaijani human rights defender Khadija Ismail (Ismayilova), who has been held in detention since December 2014.
On 1 September 2015, the Baku Court of Serious Crimes sentenced Khadija Ismailto seven years and six months in prison, under fabricated charges of misappropriation and embezzlement, illegal business and abuse of power. However, the Court acquitted her of the charge of causing a person to attempt suicide, which was initially brought against her on 5 December 2014.
On 15 October 2015, the Court dismissed all the petitions filed by her lawyer, but it agreed they will start the proceedings regarding the appeal against the sentence on October 29. On 1 September 2015, her lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev requested if she could sit next to her lawyers during further hearings, rather than in the glass booth. He also requested to commute her sentence from imprisonment to house arrest, as well as to launch a reconduction of the judicial investigation of her case.
Throughout the trial, access to the courtroom for international independent observers has been restricted and there were several procedural irregularities.
Khadija's sentence follows the recent convictions of five other prominent human rights defenders targeted in the context of a major crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan. In April 2015, Intigam Aliyev and Rasul Jafarov were sentenced to 7.5 and 6.5 years of imprisonment, respectively, by the Baku Court of Grave Crimes. On 13 August 2015, the same court sentenced Leyla Yunus and Arif Yunus to 8 years and six months and 7 years imprisonment, respectively. In May 2014, Anar Mammadli received a 5.5 year prison sentence.
On 1 September 2015, the Baku Court of Serious Crimes sentenced prominent investigative journalist and human rights defender Ms Khadija Ismail (Khadija Ismayilova) to 7.5 years in prison.
The court found her guilty under Articles 179 (misappropriation and embezzlement), 192 (illegal business), 213 (tax evasion) and 308 (abuse of power) under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. The human rights defender was acquitted of the charge of causing a person to attempt suicide (Article 125), the initial charge brought against the human rights defender on 5 December 2014.
On 31 August, in her final statement, Khadija Ismail argued that the charges against her were solely a result of her investigative journalism. However, the presiding judge did not allow her to complete the statement, disregarding the time allowed for the defendant's final statement.
Throughout the trial, access to the courtroom for international independent observers has been restricted. Furthermore, Khadija Ismail's lawyer, Mr Fariz Namazly, stated that the prosecutor had failed to present any convincing evidence. He intends to appeal the sentence.
Khadija's sentence follows the recent convictions of five other prominent human rights defenders targeted in the context of a major crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan. In April 2015, Intigam Aliyev and Rasul Jafarov were sentenced to 7.5 and 6.5 years of imprisonment, respectively, by the Baku Court of Grave Crimes. On 13 August 2015, the same court sentenced Leyla Yunus and Arif Yunus to 8 years and six months and 7 years imprisonment, respectively. In May 2014, Anar Mammadli received a 5.5 year prison sentence.
On 14 May 2015, the pre-trial detention of human rights defender and investigative journalist Ms Khadija Ismail was extended by Nasimi District Court of Baku until 24 August 2015.
The Court's decision came following a request from the General Prosecutor for the extension of Khadija Ismail's pre-trial detention. In permitting the request, the Court justified the extension in reference to the risk that the human rights defender might try to influence witnesses in the case or flee the country if released. The Court's reasoning echoed that provided on 6 March 2015, the previous instance of extension of her pre-trial detention. An appeal to alter the method of detention to house arrest will be considered by the Court on 15 May 2015.
Whilst being held in pretrial detention, Khadija Ismail has received further charges under Azerbaijan's Criminal Code, including large-scale misappropriation and embezzlement (Article 179.3.2 Azerbaijan's Criminal Code), illegal business with extraction of income in large size (Article 192.2.2), tax evasion (Article 213.1) and abuse of power (Article 308.2). The human rights defender was initially charged with causing a person to attempt suicide under Article 125 of the Criminal Code, following her arrest on 5 December 2014. The charge has since been discredited following the denial by journalist Mr Tural Mustafayev of previous statements he had made accusing Khadija Ismail of driving him to attempt suicide by firing him from Radio Azadliq in March 2014.
The extension of Khadija Ismail's detention follows the conviction to long prison terms of two other human rights defenders who were also targeted in the crackdown started by the Azeri Government in 2014. In April 2015, Intigam Aliyev and Rasul Jafarov were sentenced to 7.5 and 6.5 years of imprisonment respectively. A number of other human rights defenders remain in detention pending trial.
On the morning of 5 December 2014, human rights defender and investigative journalist Ms Khadija Ismail was summoned for interrogation in Baku City Prosecutor's office. When she arrived at the Prosecutor's office, she was detained and informed that the Prosecutor had issued an order for her arrest on charges of causing a person to attempt suicide (article 125 of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code).
That evening, Sabail District Court ruled to arrest and detain the human rights defender for two months pending trial. The following day, on 6 December 2014, she was transferred to Kurdakhany pre-trial detention centre in the outskirts of Baku. Her lawyer appealed her pre-trial detention, and the appeal hearing is scheduled for 11 December in Baku Appeals Court.
On 5 December 2014, Khadija Ismail's lawyer had been forced to sign a non-disclosure agreement. However, her criminal case was later commented on by the General Prosecutor’s office. According to authorities, the human rights defender allegedly drove journalist Mr Tural Mustafaev to attempt to commit suicide by firing him from the radio station in March 2014 and by “putting pressure on him”. According to the General Prosecutor's office, on 20 October 2014, Tural Mustafaev attempted to take his own life. He survived and later filed a complaint against Khadija Ismail to the General Prosecutor’s office. However, according to the people who knew Tural Mustafaev personally, Khadija Ismail had no connection to his attempted suicide.
On 6 December 2014, the day after Khadija Ismail's arrest, about fifteen law enforcement officers from the police and the General Prosecutor's office carried out a search of her home, seizing 58 DVD-disks, a modem and business cards. If found guilty of causing a person to attempt suicide, the human rights defender could face up to seven years of imprisonment.
Khadija Ismail's arrest follows a statement by the head of Azerbaijan's presidential administration, Mr Ramiz Mehdiyev, on 4 December 2014 where he called the country’s non-governmental groups a “fifth column” and directly accused Khadija Ismail of treason.
Earlier this year, on 18 February 2014, Khadija Ismail was summoned to Azerbaijan's General Prosecutor's office as a witness to give a statement in connection with the “disclosure of a state secret” after she published a document on Facebook about the Azerbaijani secret services recruiting an opposition activist as an “informant”. Subsequently, the alleged “informant” filed a civil law suit against Khadija Ismail, accusing her of defamation. On 9 October 2014, the trial of the human rights defender began in Binagadi District Court, Baku. Khadija Ismail stated in court that the document that she published on Facebook did not mention the name of the plaintiff and there is no evidence to the contrary. At the time of writing, the trial has not been concluded.
On 10 June 2014, Binagadi District Court ordered Khadija Ismail to carry out 220 hours of public service for allegedly organising an unauthorised protest in Baku. The peaceful demonstration, which had been held on 26 January 2013, was dispersed by police who used rubber truncheons to control the crowds. Three protesters were arrested and fifteen others were fined. Khadija Ismail appealed the court ruling but, on 15 August 2014, Baku Appeals Court upheld the previous verdict.
On 5 September 2014, the human rights defender was detained for two hours in Baku airport when travelling from an OSCE conference held in Tbilisi. The border guards searched through her personal belongings and temporarily confiscated her belongings, including money and credit cards. On 5 October 2014, she was detained in Baku airport for five hours as she returned back from Strasbourg, where she had met with Council of Europe officials to discuss the ongoing crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan. On 12 October 2014, Khadija Ismail was prevented from leaving Azerbaijan due to a decision taken by the General Prosecutor's Office. No reason was given for this travel ban. On 18 November 2014, the human rights defender again attempted to leave the country, to participate in a US Congress Helsinki hearing on corruption in OSCE countries, but she was stopped in the airport, once again without any clear explanations.
