Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova ended her five-day hunger strike on Saturday after thousands of protesters rallied to demand the release of political prisoners from Azerbaijan’s prisons.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation, OSCE, expressed on Saturday serious concern over Azerbaijan’s continuous harassment of investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova and called for the intimidations to end.

Investigative reporter and activist Khadija Ismayilova asked the United Nations’ Human Rights Council on Wednesday why it was tolerating corrupt politicians in its ranks.

The head of the Right Livelihood Award Foundation pressed Azerbaijan on Friday to withdraw its travel ban on Khadija Ismayilova and allow the investigative journalist to travel to Sweden and receive her reward.

Six prominent politicians and activists received the Magnitsky Award on Thursday for their outstanding contribution to the promotion of human rights and the fight against corruption, the founder of the award, William Browder, announced on Friday.

Khadija Ismayilova is an investigative journalist with Radio Free Europe and OCCRP. She responds to UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova’s letter to the Guardian about UNESCO’s relationship with her country’s repressive government.  Ismayilova spent 18 months in an Azerbaijani jail for her reporting about the ruling Aliyev family of Azerbaijan.

Khadija Ismayilova (Photo by  Aziz Karimov)

Only two days after she received the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” Azerbaijani investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova was on Thursday presented the prestigious2017 Allard Prize for International Integrity.

Azerbaijani investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova is among this year’s recipients of the Right Livelihood Award - also referred to as the “Alternative Nobel Prize” - which honors daring endeavors in human rights, public health and good governance.

Khadija Ismayilova in Baku studio

Khadija Ismayilova began her video conference to a room of parliamentarians in Brussels by apologizing to the people of her Baku neighborhood for losing Internet and electricity because of her.

An Azerbaijani court has reduced the suspended sentence of outspoken journalist Khadija Ismayilova, who was imprisoned in late 2015 for her reporting of corruption in the country’s ruling family. 

On her first day of freedom, between CNN’s Christiane Amanpour and the Voice of America, Khadija Ismayilova made time to talk to the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. She reflected on the experience of her 537 days in jail, the current situation in Azerbaijan and the Khadija Project, OCCRP’s response to her incarceration.

Khadija Ismayilova released from prison (Photo: Meydan TV)Journalist Khadija Ismayilova was set free after her final appeal hearing today at the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan two days before her 40th birthday.

Journalist Khadija Ismayilova will be able to appeal her imprisonment decision in a Supreme Court of Azerbaijan hearing on May 25, according to Trend News Agency. This is the final appeal in the Azerbaijani Court system. If she is unsuccessful the next step would be to take the case to the European courts.

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) regional editor Miranda Patrucic has won this year's prestigious Knight International Award. Given by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), the award acknowledges excellent reporting that has had major impact.

Azerbaijani investigative reporter Khadija Ismayilova won the 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize today from behind bars in a Baku prison. The award marks World Press Freedom Day and will be received at an awards ceremony by her mother, Elmira, today in Helsinki, Finland.

In May of 2013, the government of Azerbaijan, via its State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), injected $750,000 into an obscure Texas-based non-profit, the Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan (AFAZ).

International human rights lawyer Amal Clooney said Azerbaijan is abusing its power by trying to silence its critics, including imprisoned OCCRP partner and reporter Khadija Ismayilova, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).

The FGJ, a Swedish organization for investigative journalism, has awarded OCCRP and its Swedish partners SVT and TT a Golden Shovel award for its joint bribery investigation into TeliaSonera’s business dealings in Azerbaijan.

Authorities turned away activists and journalists attempting to visit imprisoned OCCRP partner Khadija Ismayilova on Monday, according to Voice of America (VoA).

The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has nominated Irina Bokova, currently Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as a candidate for the post of United Nations Secretary-General, according to a news release by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Feb. 9.