The US-based National Press Club announced that it will honor Azerbaijani reporter Khadija Ismayilova with one of its 2015 press freedom awards.

Ismayilova, who is in prison since December 2014, is one of nine reporters known to be jailed in Azerbaijan, Turan news agency of Azerbaijan reported citing PRNewswire.

“We hope the world will be mindful, as it watches the European Games [to be held this summer in the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku], of the plight of reporters and others in Azerbaijan who are merely exercising basic human rights of self-expression,” said National Press Club President John Hughes.

Each year the National Press Club presents Press Freedom Awards to reporters or others who manifest the values of a free press. 

This year’s awards will be presented on July 29 in Washington, DC.