Armenian lawmaker slams Azerbaijani opposition journalist’s arbitrary detention
“The illegal arbitrary detention of Azerbaijani opposition journalist in exile in Tbilisi Afghan Mukhtarli arised indignation not only in Georgia but also in the world,” Armenian lawmaker from the ruling Republican Party Armen Ashotyan wrote on Facebook.
The MP reminded that both the U.S. State Department and the European External Action Service reacted rigidly regarding those actions and once more stated “the violation of fundamental human rights in Azerbaijan as a vivid and visible reality.”
“The full investigation of this case is not considered only to be Georgia's internal issue, but also is an imperative for international community to respond to this outrageous challenge,” Ashotyan said, adding “The issue is also relevant for guaranteeing the rights and fundamental freedoms of the blacklisted by Azerbaijan foreigners, as well as citizens of Armenia and Artsakh.”
To remind, Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli went missing in Tbilisi on May 29 and a day later he was reported to be in a detention facility in Baku. Number of international watchdogs that later reacted to what appeared to be a case of abduction, called for immediate and unconditional release of the journalist, citing risks of torture and other ill-treatment in a detention facility in Baku, persecuting Mukhtarli solely for his work as a journalist.