Afgan Mukhtarli is asking for a suspension of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia's powers

Afgan Mukhtarli vs the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia

Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli has asked in a press conference for the suspension of the powers of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia,Vakhtang Gomelauri.

According to the exiled journalist, the Prime Minister is obliged to remove Gomelauri from his post until investigation into Mukhtarli’s kidnapping is completed. He also mentioned facts made public by the former high-ranking SBU officer Soso Gogashvili and demanded specific individuals be named.

“In the first statement in Azerbaijan, I said that Ivanishvili was behind my kidnapping. Kvirikashvili was then the prime minister. I was kidnapped by the criminal police and handed over to the Lagodekhi customs. This would not have happened without the permission of Ivanishvili and Kvirikashvili. The order was given at the highest level,” Afgan Mukhtarli said.

Mukhtarli, together with his lawyer, was summoned to the Prosecutor General’s Office, where Soso Gogashvili’s testimony was concealed from him. He intends to stay in Georgia until his case is opened.

“We were told that at this stage the case is not closed, and we cannot tell you Gogashvili’s testimony. This is a lie – I found the case exactly at the stage at which I left it. They haven’t done anything at all,” Mukhtarli told reporters.

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Case of Afgan Mukhtarli

Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli moved to Georgia in 2014. He was known for his harsh criticism and articles against the Azerbaijani government. He was persecuted in his homeland, so he took refuge in Georgia.

On May 29, 2017 Mukhtarli was abducted in broad daylight from the central district of Tbilisi. The next day the journalist found himself in an Azerbaijani prison. There the court sentenced him to six years in prison on charges of illegal border crossing, smuggling and disobedience of the government.

On March 17, 2020, after three years of imprisonment, Mukhtarli was suddenly released and put on a special flight to Germany, where his wife and son have been living since 2019.

Five years have passed since the abduction of Mukhtarli and his case has not been investigated in Georgia. The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia officially investigated the kidnapping under the first part of Article 143 (illegal deprivation of liberty) and finally on April 21, 2021, he was granted the status of victim.

Afgan Mukhtarli vs the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia