Georgia's SSS states non-involvement in Mukhtarly's kidnapping

The State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia has denied the assertion of the Azerbaijani MP Elman Nasyrov that the kidnapping of journalist Afghan Mukhtarly was a joint Georgian-Azerbaijani special operation.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Afghan Mukhtarly disappeared on May 29 in Tbilisi. On May 30, he telephoned his advocate Nemat Kerimli and said that he was brought to Baku. According to Mukhtarly, during the kidnapping, he was exposed to violence and beatings.

The detention of Afghan Mukhtarly was a joint operation of Georgian and Azerbaijani special services, Elman Nasyrov, an MP and a member of the Human Rights Committee of the Azerbaijani Parliament, has stated. According to his version, Mukhtarly was a member of the network that operated in Tbilisi to the detriment of Azerbaijan. "Huge political forces had gathered people like Afghan Mukhtarly in Georgia. If only Afghan was a problem, of course, there was no need to arrest him," the "Azadlyg" Radio quotes him as saying.

The Georgia's SSS has treated these allegations as not true. "The SSS is categorically refuting the information disseminated by the MP and its any involvement in Afghan Mukhtarly's case," says the SSS' statement.

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