Threats, detention, and an intimate video in Azerbaijan‏

	THE WEEK IN RIGHTS September 5, 2013
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Smeared for Uncovering Corruption in Azerbaijan
Someone placed a hidden camera in Khadija Ismayilova’s bedroom. They recorded her, planning to blackmail her and force her to give up reporting. She is, after all, one of the few Azerbaijani journalists who still have the courage to do hard hitting investigative work. While threats from thugs convince other journalists to self-censor, Khadija has reported extensively on government corruption – all the way up to the family of the autocratic president, Ilham Aliyev, himself the son of the country’s former president and former KGB general.
I’ve known Khadija for five years and I call her my friend. I doubt it was a coincidence that the sexually explicit video of Khadija and her boyfriend surfaced soon after the American broadcaster CNBC aired a segment entitled “Filthy Rich.” It explored President Aliyev’s family’s Dubai real estate holdings – including nine homes worth tens of millions owned by his pre-teen grandson. Khadija had consulted for the report.
That video of Khadija – posted by a fake news website that pretended to be connected with an opposition party – put her in physical danger.

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