Azerbaijan rejects international criticism of journalist's jailing

The upbraiding by US, British and EU officials and international human rights groups is nothing but meddling in a sovereign country’s home affairs, Hikmat Haciyev, a spokesman for the ministry, said in a statement.

"We categorically condemn and deem unacceptable interference in the trial of Khadija Ismayilova, the attempts to politicize the court decision and also reactions in the form of political statements to what in essense is a purely a matter of law," Haciyev said.

The US State Department had said it was "deeply troubled" by the 7.5-year-long jail sentence handed down to Ismayilova, a freelance investigative journalist and former head of the RFE/RL's Baku office.

"This case is another example in a broad pattern of increasing restrictions on human rights in Azerbaijan, including curtailing the freedom of the press," the State Department said in a statement, calling for the journalist's release.

The United Kingdom's minister for Europe, David Lidington, urged the Azerbaijani government to have respect for human rights. "The UK will take every opportunity to raise concerns over human rights in Azerbaijan," Lidington said.