Khadija Ismayilova, a journalist with the Azerbaijani service of RFE/RL, has been banned from leaving the country.

She was going to fly to Prague to attend an international conference on Sunday evening but was stopped at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev International Airport. 

Ismayilova was not given a reason for the ban. She believes that it could be connected with a criminal case initiated against her by a man called Elman Turkoglu, who accuses the journalist of defamation.

The Prosecutor-General’s Office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Bakudaily.Az