Yerevan /Mediamax/. Rights lawyer Amal Clooney denied Azerbaijan’s allegations of her Armenian descent.

Azerbaijani government officials and media recently were claiming that Amal Clooney is of Armenian descent, and that is the reason of her decision to represent reporter Khadija Ismayilova, imprisoned in Azerbaijan, in international courts.

“I don’t see how belonging to any nation, whatever it is, would discredit me in any way. As it happens my heritage is not Armenian, but I do not see why this should matter,” said Amal Clooney in a written interview given to Azatutyuan radiostation.

“But obviously the fact I represented Armenia does not make me Armenian, any more than my representation of Cambodia before the International Court of Justice made me Cambodian, or my advice to the Greek government made me Greek,” continued Amal Clooney.

Khadija Ismayilova herself told Azatututyun that she chose Clooney because she had successfully defended journalists before. “I didn't ask about her heritage, as people from civilized countries don't ask such questions,” noted she.

Touching upon Ismayilova’s imprisonment, Amal Clooney said that Azerbaijani government “is abusing its power by trying to silence critics of the regime”. “It's important to fight for the right of journalists to tell the world what is happening in their countries,” said the lawyer.