The Coalition for Media Advocacy is concerned over “the disappearance” of Azerbaijani journalist, Afgan Mukhtarli, who has been living in Georgia for already two years.
It should be noted that during the period of living in Georgia Afgan Mukhtarli and his wife, who graduated from Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA), were involved in journalistic activities and worked as freelancers for meydan.tv. According to media reports, most recently they were preparing investigative materials about offshore businesses of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
According to the latest reports, the Azerbaijani journalist is being kept in Baku and asks lawyers for assistance, while the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched investigation under article 143 of the Criminal Code of Georgia involving unlawful imprisonment.
The Coalition for Media Advocacy urges the Ministry of Internal Affairs to give duly response to all questions related to the case, including how the journalist, who disappeared in downtown Tbilisi, managed to cross the Georgian border, as he reportedly had no passport with him?