21 June 2018, 21:45
ECtHR sends inquiries to Azerbaijan and Georgia on Afghan Mukhtarly's case
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has started a study of the case on the kidnapping of Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarly in Tbilisi. The ECtHR has sent its questions to the Azerbaijani and Georgian sides concerning the circumstances of the Afghan Mukhtarly's detention.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Mukhtarly was kidnapped in Tbilisi in May 2017 and brought to Baku. On January 12, 2018, the court sentenced him to six years in prison on charges of illegally crossing the border, smuggling and resisting a state official.
Mukhtarly did not admit his guilt; the United States, the European Union and the OSCE spoke out in his defence. The human rights organization Amnesty International recognized him as a "prisoner of conscience".
Today, Archil Chopikashvili, Georgian advocate Afghan Mukhtarly has reported that the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) of Georgia is to provide answers to the ECtHR's inquiries until the end of the month. In particular, Georgia should provide answers to eight questions. In its inquiries, the European Court tries to find out whether Afghan Mukhtarly was subjected to inhuman treatment or illegal deprivation of liberty, whether his right to freedom of expression was violated and how effective the investigation was, the advocate reported.
"The European Court directly asks both Azerbaijan and Georgia whether there was a fact of the violation and whether the states conducted effective investigation," Archil Chopikashvili said on the air of the Georgian "Rustavi-2" TV Company.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on June 21, 2018 at 02:12 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Inna Kukudzhanova Source: CK correspondent
