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Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan charged the well-known detained investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova with economic crimes, “Caucasian Knot” reports.

According to the article, on 13 February Prosecutor General's Office Grave Crimes Investigation Department of Azerbaijan charged the journalist with articles 179.3.2 (large-scale appropriation), 192.2.2 (illegal entrepreneurship with large income) and 308.2 (abuse of power with grave consequences) of Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, Fariz Namazly the lawyer told “Caucasian Knot.” He noted that the charges are brought in on the basis of some act regarding the RFE/RL Azerbaijani service activities tax checking, compiled on 15 January, 2015.

According to the lawyer, Ismayilova doesn’t plead guilty of neither of the accusing articles. She refused to give testimony, the article reads.

Azerbaijani journalist’s lawyer stated that the charges are groundless. He says that the details are still unknown, but it’s an absurd to charge Khadija Ismayilova with those articles, insofar as she wasn’t engaged in any entrepreneur activities.
“She was engaged in creative activities and got honorarium for that on legal basis. Khadija hasn’t held any position in the radio for the last 4 years, and that is why abuse of power is out of the question as well. The first charge was undermined, and that’s why they made up more absurd charges. These are standard charges recently imposed on NGO leaders – Intigam Aliyev, Rasul Jafarov, Anar Mammadli. But what happens is that Khadija didn’t have an NGO,” the lawyer claimed.
“BBC” Russian service adds that the Azerbaijani journalist faces up to 12 years in prison, reminding that she was charged with inciting to suicide before.

As RFE/RL reports, “Committee to Protect Journalists” called on the authorities in Azerbaijan to drop all charges against Khadija Ismayilova and release her immediately. CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova stated that it’s not a secret for anyone, that the authorities in Azerbaijan use trumped-up charges trying to silence the journalists engaged in investigating corruption and human rights violations.

On December 5, morning, well-known Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova was detained after being questioned at the prosecutor's office. Baku Sabail District Court made a decision to detain her for two months.