George Clooney persuades spouse not to visit Azerbaijan for security risks

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
September 7, 2017 Thursday


George Clooney persuades spouse not to visit Azerbaijan for security risks



YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. World famous Hollywood actor George
Clooney admitted that he it was he who persuaded Amal Clooney not to
visit Azerbaijan, ARMENPRESS reports the actor told The Hollywood
Reporter. “We had agreed with Amal that we will not allow any job to
put us under risk”, George Clooney said.

In September 2015, Amal went to the Maldives to try to get President
Mohamed Nasheed out of jail, that's the former leader, imprisoned on
terrorism charges that were deemed bogus by the U.S. State Department.
"The Maldives has the highest per-capita rate of recruiting ISIS, so
it was a very nerve-racking time, and as Amal was coming into town,
her co-counsel [Mahfooz Saeed] was pulled off a motorcycle and stabbed
in the head as a warning”, Clooney told.

He admitted that he had to make a deal with her wife to keep her away
from Azerbaijan. “When she finally got out of there, she had another
client in jail in Azerbaijan," added Clooney, "and I said, 'I'll tell
you what, let's make a deal: I won't go to South Sudan and you don't
go to Azerbaijan. How is that?' And she said, 'For now, fine.' "

Famous British lawyer Amal Clooney defended the interests of
Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismailova who has been jailed in Baku
for 7.5 years. Clooney took the case to the ECHR. She has also
defended the interests of the Armenian side in Perinchek’s case.