Ombudsman Calls for Recognition of Azeri Journalist as Victim

Public Defender of Georgia (Ombudsman) Ucha Nanuashvili has called on the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia, Irakli Shotadze, to recognize Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarli, who was allegedly abducted in Tbilisi on May 29 and put in pre-trial detention in Baku, as a victim and to ensure the effective investigation into the alleged offense committed by the officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia.

On Wednesday, Nanuashvili publicized a number of recommendations concerning the issue.

He stressed that the investigation, launched by the MIA under Part 1 of Article 143 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, pertaining to illegal deprivation of liberty, cannot provide the degree of independence required for effective investigation, because the officers of the same ministry are alleged to have committed offences against Mukhtarli.

“Afghan Mukhtarli should be granted the status of a victim in order to ensure that he can enjoy all the necessary procedural rights and that he and his lawyer have more opportunities to observe the investigation into the offense committed allegedly by the officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, which raises legitimate questions,” the Ombudsman stated.

Moreover, he addressed the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia proposing that the case be transfered to the investigators of the Prosecutor’s Office.

Nanuashvili also spoke about the video recording taken by a street surveillance camera which was spread in media and features Afghan Mukhtarli in the vicinity of the Grigol Orbeliani Square, Tbilisi, the last place where he was seen before he disappeared.

He alleges that some scenes from the recording have been cut out, because different time, weather and cars are shown in the video within a very short period.

Mukhtarli is a political migrant who left Azerbaijan three years ago. In Tbilisi, he held protests in front of Azerbaijan’s embassy and recently wrote about the persecution of Azerbaijani activists in Georgia. He disappeared on May 29, and the following day was found in the Baku police department.

Mukhtarli told his lawyer that he was detained and forced into a car near his house in Tbilisi by Georgian Special Service officers. He said that he was beaten and EUR 10,000 euros were planted on him. The Azerbaijani authorities accused him of illegal border crossing and smuggling.

The journalist’s wife and lawyer assure that Mukhtarli’s case is politically motivated and claim that he was transferred by Georgian law enforcers to the Azerbaijani side.

Thea Morrison