Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova was granted amnesty in connection with the lawsuit which former opposition member Elman Hasanov had filed against her.

The journalist was also exempt from paying a fine of 2,500 manats (approx. US$1,640), reported Contact.az news agency of Azerbaijan.

Hasanov, by his own confession, had filed the suit, upon instruction by law enforcement agencies, claiming that Ismayilova had libeled him by publicizing a document where it says he is an agent of the Ministry of National Security (MNS) of Azerbaijan. But in reality, Hasanov is not mentioned in this document.

This document was posted on the Internet two years ago, and it was made public by MNS former officer, present-day political emigrant Ramin Nagiev.

In February 2015, however, Baku Binagadin district court fined Ismayilova.

But at the time, she already was imprisoned on other charges, and sentenced to 7.5 years.

On May 25, however, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan commuted her restraining order of arrest to a suspended sentence.

And on Tuesday, Khadija Ismayilova was given her amnesty document in the Binagadin district court.