Vienna, 03/06/2017
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) was appalled to learn that journalist Afgan Mukhtarli was detained and taken to Baku, Azerbaijan, despite being in exile in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Authorities claim they do not know how the journalist crossed the border on 29 May 2017 and that an investigation is under way. In 2015, Mukhtarli, who is a longtime critic of police structures in his home country, had investigated corruption involving the current president of Azerbaijan, and had since been carefully monitored.
SEEMO supports Afgan Mukhtarli and all Azerbaijani journalists who are being harassed because of their work both in their home country and in Georgia. Mukhtarli must be immediately released and an investigation should determine how and by whom he was taken out of exile.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe.