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December 5, morning, prominent Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova was called to the Baku City Prosecutor's Office, where she was detained. After the interrogation, she was taken to the Sabail District Court in Baku. The Court undertook preventive measures of arresting her for two months term. She was charged with incitement to suicide, "Caucasian Knot" reports.
"These charges are absolutely absurd. It is based on absurd assumptions. The court's decision is illegal and is connected with Ismaylova’s activities as a journalist," Guliyev said.

The lawyer stated that the court's decision on the arrest will be appealed. He did not comment on the details of the charges.
As noted in the article about two dozen of activists came to the courthouse to support Ismayilova. They periodically shouted: "Khadija, Khadija!" They continued the action when the journalist was being taken away from the building after the arrest decision.

Board member of the Nida movement Ulvi Hasanli stated there is a political nature in the fact of prosecution of Ismaylova. "This is a fabricated criminal case. Khadija was arrested for exposing corruption in the ruling elite,” Hasanli told reporters.

Investigative journalist Aynur Imranov is also outraged by Ismaylova’s arrest. "Khadija has done more for Azerbaijan than any party or public organization. She detected and wrote the truth," Imranov told the reporters.

It is also noted that, according to Ismayilova’s friends, the journalist was arrested on charges of attempted suicide of another journalist, Tural Mustafayev. He allegedly had testified during the investigation that Ismaylova had first fired him from the Azerbaijani "Radio Liberty" service, and then from the online Meydan.tv television.

"However, Ismailova headed the Baku office of "Radio Liberty" in Azerbaijani from 2008 to 2010 and thereafter was only anchorwoman in a program. Ismaylova has never worked in on-line Meydan.tv television," Natig Javadli, its representative, stated.

If the journalist’s guilt is proven, then she can be punished by a term of 3 to 7 years in prison. The press service of the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan told the "Caucasian Knot" that an official report is being prepared in connection with the arrest of Ismaylova, the article reads.

It is also noted that the prosecutor's office of Azerbaijan had imposed a ban to Khadija Ismailova on leaving the country in October 12. That time she could not leave Baku for Prague to participate in the international conference "Forum 2000". The next day, the representative of the Prosecutor General's Office explained the temporary restriction presented to the journalist by the fact of conducting an investigation of a criminal case where she was involved as a witness.

Note that Khadija Ismayilova was turning into a target of attacks by the government for her journalistic activities. Ismayilova is an author of a number of journalistic investigations on corruption in the highest echelons in Azerbaijan. In recent years, she is conducting talk show in the Azerbaijani Service of “Radio Liberty”.