04:53, 3 June 2017

Decision on Afghan Mukhtarly's arrest challenged

Afghan Mukhtarly was brought to Baku. Baku, May 31, 2017. Photo by Aziz Karimov for "Caucasian Knot"

The defence of Afghan Mukhtarly, an Azerbaijani opposition journalist, has filed an appeal with a request for his immediate release. This was reported by an advocate.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 29, Afghan Mukhtarly disappeared in Tbilisi, and he was brought to Baku. According to Afghan Mukhtarly, he was beaten during the kidnapping. However, the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan refuted his claim. On May 31, the Sabail District Court of Baku arrested Afghan Mukhtarly for three months.

The international human rights organization "Amnesty International" (AI) has recognized Afghan Mukhtarly as a "prisoner of conscience." On June 2, human rights defender Ogtai Gyulyalyev reported that members of the Red Cross were not allowed to visit Afghan Mukhtarly.

"We demand to immediately release him," states advocate Elchin Sadygov as quoted by the "Sputnik-Georgia".

After the detention, Afghan Mukhtarly was accused in Azerbaijan of violating the state border and smuggling, and later, on May 31, he was additionally charged with resisting a border guard.

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