As he has done regarding the convictions of Leyla and Arif Yunus, Secretary General Jagland will request from the Azerbaijani authorities the full details of the judgment and the evidence presented against Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative journalist sentenced by a Baku Court today to 7.5 years in prison.

The Council of Europe reiterates its concerns about the systemic deficiencies in the Azerbaijani judicial system and the worrying trend of increasing cases against human rights defenders and journalists, which has a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the country.