Meydan TV journalist denied entry to Georgia

Azerbaijani Meydan TV journalist, Jamil Ali, was denied entry to Georgia on 19 April this year. He arrived in Tbilisi from Berlin. He reported that the border guards failed to explain the reasons for not letting him enter the country. He was detained for a while and later sent back to Berlin on the first available flight.

Meydan TV is a Berlin-based Azerbaijani media organization. It is known for its critical attitude to Aliyev’s leadership. It has been actively covering the governmental corruption issue. Meydan TV journalists have been subjected to persecution on a number of occasions.

As Jamil Ali told Azerbaijani Turan news agency, he was denied entry to Georgia because of his professional activity. The journalist visited Georgia a few months ago to prepare a critical report about the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), which supplied gas to Georgian churches free-of-charge. After thebrelease of the journalist’s report, a protest rally was organized in Tbilisi.

Jamal Ali said that he was going to hire a lawyer, would fight back and seek to establish the truth. He opposed the Azerbaijani leadership many years ago. Ali was actively engaged in the anti-governmental rally in Baku in January 2012, during which he was arrested. He left Azerbaijan upon release and found shelter in Berlin, where he has been staying until now. Azerbaijani journalists were unable to acquire an official explanation as to why Georgian authorities’ had denied Jamal Ali’s entry to Georgia.

Source: ON.Ge