Azerbaijani journalist Mukhtarli refused flight toTbilisi from Germany to give testimony

Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarli, who vanished from the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on May 29, 2017 and resurfaced in custody in Baku the next day, has been refused flight from Germany to Tbilisi to give testimony in his case. 

Mukhtarli, who was released from Azerbaijani prison earlier this year now lives in Germany with his family and claims that Georgian law enforcers helped their Azerbaijani colleagues in his abduction three years ago.

• Interior Minister excludes Georgia’s role in detention of Azeri journalist

The Georgian Airways says that Mukhtarli is a citizen of Azerbaijan and the citizens of the country are banned from entering Georgia due to the coronavirus. 

The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office says that Mukhtarli has already given testimony in Germany on July 24 according to their request and the testimony has been sent to Georgia. 

• Georgia says it investigates alleged “unlawful imprisonment” of Azerbaijani journalist

Since 2017 Georgia has been investigating the case as an alleged ‘unlawful imprisonment’  of the journalist, who was charged with illegally crossing the border and smuggling in Azerbaijan following the abduction. 

Mukhtarli was sentenced to six years in prison in 2017  but was released In March 2020.