Azernews.Az

An Azerbaijani Presidential Administration official has issued a statement strongly condemning interference with the personal life of an investigative journalist working for Radio Liberty`s Azerbaijani Service.

A video purporting to show Khadija Ismailova, a correspondent and talk-show host for Radio Liberty, being engaged in sexual activities has lately been released on the Internet. Ismailova is known for her terse criticism of the government.

Elnur Aslanov, a department head at the Presidential Administration, said in the statement, issued on Thursday, that authorities consider ``interference in the private life of any journalist, regardless of their political position and views, to be unacceptable``.

``In a democratic society protection of privacy of citizens is a key element of the rights and freedoms,`` he said in the statement. ``The Azerbaijani Constitution ensures the rights and freedoms of every citizen of Azerbaijan, regardless of language, religion, ethnicity and social status, and protects from unlawful interference with his private life and the lives of his family members.``

Aslanov said the government considers the release of the video as part of a propaganda campaign by provocative groups trying to disrupt stability in Azerbaijan, harm the international image of the country and create tension and confusion in the community. ``Azerbaijan`s law enforcement agencies investigating this matter will do their best to expose and punish individuals and forces behind these dirty deeds,`` the statement says.

The Prosecutor-General`s Office said it had filed criminal charges of ``breaching the inviolability of one`s personal life``.

The incident prompted an outcry from international organizations, including the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Ten members of the European Parliament have appealed to President Ilham Aliyev saying the alleged campaign launched against Ismailova deals a major blow to human rights and democracy in Azerbaijan. The MPs said journalists` work in the country is hampered by what is called attacks on them and criminals` taking advantage of a climate of impunity.