Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 20
By Samir Ali - Trend:
Lawyers of Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova have no information whether the lawyer of Armenian descent Amal Clooney will be defending their client, the journalist's lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev told Trend Jan. 20.
He said that there is no information on this matter yet.
"I cannot say how accurate this information is," said Mehdiyev. "International human rights organizations protect Khadija Ismayilova, keep her case under control. Perhaps Amal Clooney, the lawyer of Armenian descent, is also a member of these organizations. However, I don't have specific information whether there was an agreement between Ismayilova and Amal Clooney."
Another lawyer of Ismayilova, Fariz Namazli said that, he too, learned about it from the press.
"Next week I will meet with Ismayilova and inquire about this matter," said the lawyer. "If I learn something concrete, I will report this to the public."
Amal Clooney, a lawyer and the wife of the Hollywood star George Clooney, said in an interview with NBC that she will defend the rights of Khadija Ismayilova before the European Court of Human Rights.
Amal Clooney earlier represented Armenia in the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Dogu Perincek against Switzerland, Armenia and France regarding criminalization of denying the "Armenian Genocide".
Ismayilova was charged under the articles 179.3.2 (large-scale misappropriation and embezzlement), 192.2.2 (illegal entrepreneurship), 213.1 (tax evasion) and 308.2 (abuse of official duties) under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
A cassational appeal was made against the verdict, but the Baku Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the first instance court.