13:30, 31 May 2017

Protest action against Afghan Mukhtarly's kidnapping held in Georgia

A poster saying "Freedom to Afghan". Photo by Inna Kukudzhanova

In Tbilisi, protesters demanded explanations from Georgian authorities about the kidnapping of the Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarly. The police launched an inquiry under the article on illegal deprivation of liberty, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has reported.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 30, Mukhtarly informed the advocate Nemat Kerimli that he had been taken to the central department of the State Border Service (SBS) of Azerbaijan. The Amnesty International (AI) has accused the Georgian authorities of involvement in his kidnapping.

Afghan Mukhtarly left Azerbaijan for Georgia in 2014. According to his story, the situation with human rights in Azerbaijan had become critical.

"We do not know exactly what happened – either our law enforcers handed Mukhtarly over to Azerbaijan, or it was a kidnapping; in any case, this was a crime," said Giorni Kldiashvili, Director of the NGO "Institute for Freedom of Information".

Ucha Nanuashvili, the Georgia's Ombudsperson, said on air of "Rustavi-2" TV that "law enforcement bodies should immediately react to this fact."

"Everyone, who lives in Georgia, should have the feeling of security and fair treatment," he said.

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

Author: Galina Gotua

Source: CK correspondent