Human rights defenders have appealed to the OSCE regarding the case of Azerbaijani activist Avtandil Mammadov

Mammadov's fate remains uncertain in Georgia, where authorities have denied him political asylum. He moved to Georgia in 2017, having previously engaged in public and human rights activities in Azerbaijan but left the country due to fears of persecution.

In Georgia, he founded the Institute for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms. After the abduction of journalist Afghan Mukhtarli in Tbilisi in 2017, Mammadov sought political asylum from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the Georgian Migration Department.

However, an open criminal case against him exists in Azerbaijan, and he has been declared wanted by Interpol. He was briefly detained in Tbilisi at the request of Baku but was released. Despite this, his asylum request was denied, and he cannot leave for a third country due to an expired passport.

Mammadov's case, highlighting the continued persecution of Azerbaijani political emigrants even after leaving the country, was raised last week at the OSCE Human Dimension Conference in Warsaw.

Representatives from the Geneva-based Institute for Human Rights drew the attention of OSCE delegations to the threats and unjust persecution Mammadov faces in Azerbaijan if he is deported back to his homeland. The organization called on OSCE countries to take measures to ensure the safety of the political emigrant.