Afgan Mukhtarli: expectations from the investigation in Georgia are not high

Baku/12.04.21/Turan: The purpose of the current visit of investigative journalist Afgan Mukhtarli to Georgia is to obtain information on the progress of the investigation of his abduction in Tbilisi and to testify to the investigation. Mukhtarli said this in an interview with the "Difficult Question" program of the Turan agency.

Mukhtarli, currently living in Germany, noted that six months ago he was going to visit Georgia. At first, he was told that "there are no problems." When Mukhtarli was about to board the plane, he received a message that "Persons who do not have the right to permanent residence in the EU are not allowed to Georgia."

“Now, I flew to Georgia, not directly from Germany. I first arrived in Istanbul and from there to Tbilisi. True, in Istanbul they asked me different questions for about an hour, but in the end they let me on the plane,” the journalist said. In Tbilisi, Mukhtarli, in the presence of his lawyer, gave testimony at about 10 a.m. to General Prosecutor's Office of the country. He recalled that much earlier than his abduction on May 29, 2017, he had watched him being followed. Mukhtarli informed the Georgian authorities about this, but no measures were taken.

“I believe that the heads of the border authorities and special services of Georgia, the Criminal Police of Georgia, and the leadership of the border checkpoint “Lagodekhi” were involved in my abduction. On the day of my abduction, not a single CCTV camera was working on the route. And this is not accidental,” the journalist noted.  Mukhtarli harbors no illusions about an objective investigation of his abduction.

“There are no expectations or hopes. They may appear if the government changes in Georgia,” Mukhtarli said.

* Investigative journalist Afgan Mukhtarli was abducted in Tbilisi in May 2017 and secretly transported to Azerbaijan, where he was accused of smuggling, illegal border crossing, and violence against a border guard and sentenced to 6 years in prison.

The arrest of Mukhtarli was condemned by the European Parliament and international human rights organizations. Amnesty International recognized him as a "prisoner of conscience".

He was released on March 17, 2020 and immediately sent from Baku to Germany. — 06D-