The person who intimidated the team of the Center for Investigative Journalism for displaying a banner at the balcony of its office in solidarity with the journalist Khadija Ismayilova is not a representative of the Embassy. He is actually the owner of the buildings where the offices of  CIJM and of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan are located. Anatol Urecheanu from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration replied following a complaint filed by CIJM.

"I spoke with representatives of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and they have told us that the person who came to you, owns the building where  you have the office. Also, he owns the neighboring building of the diplomatic mission. So, we cannot interfere. This case must be elucidated in line with laws in the Republic of Moldova. You should contact the police. You did not provide detailed information", said Anatol Urecheanu in a phone call.

According to data from Cadastre, the owner of the building in which the Embassy of Azerbaijan is located, as well as the land, are owned by Republic of Azerbaijan. Whereas, the building in which CIJM is located is owned by another person.

The Center for Investigative Journalism received a reply after it had filed a complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration that described the incident and asked the officials to take note of violation of freedom of expression, stipulated both by national and international legislation. CIJM  has repeatedly reported about this case on portal Anticoruptie.md and provided all the details through journalistic efforts. Also, it is worth mentioning that the journalists of the Center know the owner of the building.  CIJM has a contractual relationship with him.

Team of the Center for Investigative Journalism voiced solidarity with the journalist Khadija Ismayilova, sentenced to seven years and six months in prison. The Center displayed on Thursday, April 21, a banner on the balcony of its office, located right next to the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Moldova, demanding her release. We have been forced to abandon this form of protest and to remove the banner on Friday, April 22, at the request of the owner of the building where the office of the Center is placed. Soon, a man who refused to introduce himself, but who claimed to be a representative of the embassy of Azerbaijan in Chisinau, came to CIJM's office insisting to remove the banner and disclose the author of the idea, the person or company who executed this order.

"Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration is cheating when says that it did not have enough details to examine this case.  Details were provided on the portal Anticoruptie.md and in the interview for Radio Free Europe.  I had a private discussion with the owner of the building, but the person who intimidated us said that he was a representative of the Embassy and refused to tell his name. The man, which I recognized in a video, a public one, asked directly to give him the banner and insisted to tell him the name of the person who did it. When I refused, he started to threaten us that we would have big problems. In the last protest that we organized in front of the Embassy, I saw again that man coming out of the court of the diplomatic representation. So, we do not doubt that he is the representative of Azerbaijan Embassy in Chisinau.  What other details would be necessary for the relevant institutions to take appropriate attitude?" said  Cornelia Cozonac, President of CIJM.

The man who intimidated the CIJM team has previously assaulted journalists from RISE Moldova in a protest in September 2015. "During the protest on 3 September 2015, a man of Azerbaijani origin came in the yard of the Embassy, took pictures of us with a mobile phone and then he sought aggressively to destroy the camera of a reporter from RISE. His action was stopped after several journalists intervened and formed a wall between the representative of the embassy and the reporter from RISE. He said that we did not have the right to protest and insisted to leave the place", said Iurie Sanduta, director of RISE Moldova.

On Wednesday, May 25 Azerbaijan's Supreme Court ruled to replace that with a three-and-a-half-year suspended sentence and ordered her release on probation. The court set a five-year period for her probation.  

The notification submitted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration: