EU Parliament Adopts Resolution on Azeri Journalist Case
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on June 15 about the case of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, who was allegedly abducted in Tbilisi on May 29 and put in pre-trial detention in Baku, Azerbaijan. The MEPs called on the Azerbaijani government to release Mukhtarli without delay. They urged the government of Georgia to conduct a timely investigation.
The resolution states that according to Mikhtarli’s lawyer, the journalist was apprehended by men who wore Georgian criminal police uniforms, who pushed Mikhtarli into a car, beat him, and drove him to the Azerbaijani border. At the border, EUR 10,000 was allegedly planted on his person and he is now facing prosecution for illegally crossing the border, smuggling, and violence against police authority. On May 31 he was sentenced to three months of pre-trial detention.
The document “strongly condemns the abduction of Afgan Mukhtarli in Tbilisi and his subsequent arbitrary detention in Baku; considers this a serious violation of human rights and condemns this grave act of breach of law.” It also urges the Georgian authorities to ensure a prompt, thorough, transparent and effective investigation into Mukhtarli’s forced disappearance in Georgia and illegal transfer to Azerbaijan, and urges them to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The resolution “considers it of utmost importance that the Georgian authorities make every effort possible to clarify beyond any doubt all suspicion regarding the involvement of Georgian state agents in the forced disappearance” and recalls that it is the responsibility of the Georgian authorities to provide protection to all those third-country nationals living in Georgia or requesting political asylum, who face possible severe judicial consequences in their country of origin for human rights or political activities. The document also calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against and release Mukhtarli, as well as all those incarcerated as a result of the exercise of their fundamental rights, including freedom of expression.
Mukhtarli's wife, Leila Mustafayeva, says that the European Parliament's demand is to conduct a thorough investigation, but it is not happening at this stage. “The MEPs suspect that the Georgian side was involved in the kidnapping operation. Investigation is in progress at this stage. The police should have obtained a record of surveillance cameras, but they say that there is no video footage showing kidnapping. They have to get a testimony from Mukhtrali. Georgian law enforcers have to arrive in Baku for this, but we think they will hold negotiations with Azerbaijani colleagues. I think the investigation is already being falsified at this stage," said Mustafayeva.
Ian Kelly, the United States ambassador to Georgia, also made a comment. “We see this as a very serious incident and we have been in touch with the Georgian government and have been very clear that the incident should be thoroughly investigated,” the ambassador stated.
The Head of Self-Defense and Security Committee of the Georgian Parliament Irakli Sesiashvili says that the resolution of the EU parliament said reiterated statements by the Georgian government and PM that full investigation needed in this case. “What happened is very bad, as our country’s interests have been damaged. This is a matter of honor to find out the truth,” Sesiashvili said, adding that the Georgian government had nothing to do with the incident.
By Thea Morrison
Photo source: occrp.org