Azerbaijani opposition journalist Afghan Mukhtarly accused of resisting border guards (+video)

The journalist accused of illegal border crossing and smuggling faces a new heavier charge. Afghan Mukhtarly is charged with rendering resistance to a public official. The defence treats the charge as unfounded.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 29, Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarly disappeared in Tbilisi. On May 30, he phoned advocate Nemat Kerimli and said that he was brought to Baku to the Central Department of the State Border Service (SBS) of Azerbaijan. According to advocate Elchin Sadygov, unidentified people brought Afghan Mukhtarly to a border checkpoint in Azerbaijan and placed 10,000 euros next to him.

Investigators allege that during the illegal crossing of the border, Afghan Mukhtarly rendered resistance to a border guard who allegedly tried to stop him. The Article stipulates up to eight years of imprisonment.

According to Eldar Sultanov, the chief of the press service of the General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan, during the search of Afghan Mukhtarly, "a large amount of money was found," the "APA" reports.

Leyla Mustafaeva, the wife of the journalist, claims that his passport remained at home.

The woman has also noted that in Georgia, her husband was being kept under surveillance for two years. However, after the arrest of oppositionist Gezyal Bairamly in Azerbaijan, "it has become too obvious." Gezyal Bairamly was detained when she was returning from Georgia on May 25.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.