Afgan Mukhtarli’s case in focus at EU Ambassador’s meeting with Georgian journalists

Georgian journalists met with the Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia, Ambassador János Herman. The discussion focused on the case of Afgan Mukhtarli, an Azerbaijani opposition journalist who recently disappeared in Tbilisi and was later found in detention in Baku.

As the EU Ambassador stated at the meeting, he was personally interested in this case. During the meeting, both parties expressed concern over the incident.

As Georgian journalists pointed out at the meeting, Afgan Mukhtarli’s abduction ruined the notion that, unlike neighboring countries, freedom of speech is allegedly ensured in Georgia. However, according to Georgian media people, Ambassador Herman didn’t share the aforesaid opinion.

“As he told us, there is a great difference between Georgia and Azerbaijan, and those two countries aren’t viewed as identical,” said Nana Biganishvili, a journalist from the ‘Monitor’ investigative studio.

According to Nana Dzvelishvili, CEO of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics, unlike the Georgian leadership, the representatives of diplomatic missions realize the importance of this issue.

The EU Delegation is now collecting information on the incident from local authorities, political parties and the country’s president, and is expected to draw a conclusion based on the aforesaid information.

Georgian journalists are also expected to meet with the U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Ian C. Kelly, on 6 June.

Despite this, journalists are still unable to meet with the Georgian Parliament Chairman. They officially appealed to the Parliament Chairman three days ago, but they haven’t received any response so far. According to the Georgian media people, they intend to meet with everyone who is capable of influencing the Georgian government.

The U.S. Department of State and the EU Delegation to Georgia have made special statements in connection with the abduction and arrest of the Azerbaijani journalist. The EU High Representative for the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, also released a statement.

All of them urge Georgian government to ensure that the investigation into the case be timely and transparent. They also call on Azerbaijani authorities ‘to release all those incarcerated for exercising their fundamental freedoms in accordance with its international and OSCE commitments.’

“The alleged abduction and illegal arbitrary detention of Azerbaijani nationals, including human rights defenders, residing in Georgia followed by their arrest and prosecution in Azerbaijan, demands swift, thorough and transparent investigation. We welcome the launch of such an investigation in Georgia as announced by its leadership. We expect that the due process of law is respected, as well as the civil and political rights of citizens and those residing legally in states other than their own. The European Union will continue to follow these cases closely,” EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, stressed in her statement.

Afgan Mukhtarli, an Azerbaijani opposition journalist and activist, left Azerbaijan in 2014. He moved to Georgia, where he was granted a residence permit. Back in Azerbaijan, he was frequently subjected to governmental pressure due to his journalistic activity. Some of his claims are currently under discussion in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). He has recently been cooperating with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) and Meydan.tv.

Afgan Mukhtarli disappeared in Tbilisi late on 29 May 2017, and was later found to have been detained by Azerbaijani law-enforcers. Meanwhile, Mukhtarli claims, he was abducted by Georgian special service officers, who put a bag over his head and transferred him to the Azerbaijani law-enforcers. The Baku court sentenced him to a three-month pre-trial detention for border trespassing, smuggling and resisting law-enforcers. Mukhtarli claims that an amount of EUR 10,000 was placed in his pocket at the border.