Georgian President assured Mukhtarly's wife of his support

Giorgi Margvelashvili has told Leyla Mustafaeva that Georgian authorities are interested in investigating the incident with the journalist Afghan Mukhtarly, who stated his kidnapping in Tbilisi and exportation to the territory of Azerbaijan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Afghan Mukhtarly, who left Azerbaijan for Georgia in 2014, disappeared on May 29 this year in Tbilisi. On the following day, he reported that he had been transported to Baku. There, the journalist was accused of illegally crossing the border, contraband and resisting a border guard.

The President of Georgia met Leyla Mustafaeva on her initiative, since, according to her version, Mr Margvelashvili was the first to state that Mukhtarly had been kidnapped.

Anna Dolidze, the President's Parliamentary Secretary, has noted that the investigation should be carried out efficiently and with full protection of Georgia's interests. Besides, as she said, the Mukhtarly's family must make sure that their interests are protected.

On June 26, Archil Chopikashvili, the Georgian advocate of Afghan Mukhtarly, sent an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) with a request to lift Mukhtarly's arrest, since he is under threat in custody and unable to reunite with his family living in Tbilisi.

"Mukhtarly's health has deteriorated: he has heart problems; his diabetes mellitus has worsened; and if he doesn't take his medicines twice a day, he may fall into coma," Mr Chopikashvili said.

According to his story, the Baku SIZO-1 (pre-trial prison), where Mukhtarly is kept, has "bad glory": in April this year, Mekhman Galandarov, a political prisoner, was found dead there.

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