AI accuses Georgian authorities of involvement in Afghan Mukhtarly's kidnapping

The international human rights organization "Amnesty International" (AI) has condemned the detention of Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarly, who lived in Tbilisi. The AI has recognized Afghan Mukhtarly as a "prisoner of conscience" and demanded from the Azerbaijani authorities to release him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 29, opposition journalist Afghan Mukhtarly disappeared in Tbilisi. On May 30, he phoned advocate Nemat Kerimli and said that he was brought to Baku to the Central Department of the State Border Service (SBS) of Azerbaijan.

On May 30, advocate Elchin Sadygov met Afghan Mukhtarly in the building of the Azerbaijani SBS. According to him, the journalist was charged under Articles "Violation of state border" and "Smuggling". The journalist himself claimed that he was kidnapped by people in civilian clothes and subjected to violence.

"According to local activists and his advocate, Afghan Mukhtarly is in custody at the Investigating Department of the Azerbaijani SBS. In 2015, the spouses left for Georgia for fear of their safety in connection with their investigation into the alleged involvement of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev in corruption," reports the AI.

"The men tied the journalist in a car, drove him to the outskirts of Tbilisi, and beat him mercilessly," the AI's statement reports.

According to the human rights defenders, "after Afghan Mukhtarly crossed the border, they planted into his pocket 10,000 euros to accuse him later of breaking the border and smuggling."

Levan Asatiani, a participant of the campaign "Amnesty International in Southern Caucasus", associates the detention of Afghan Mukhtarly with his journalistic activities.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.