“I will testify today at the prosecutor’s office about my abduction and what preceded it, who was involved in this operation. I know who was the organizer from the Azerbaijani side,” said Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarli.

“First of all, thanks to the Georgian colleagues for protecting me for three years. I felt every day that Georgian journalists were by my side. Also, I am grateful to the Georgian people who supported my family living in Tbilisi during this difficult period. I will testify at the prosecutor’s office today about my abduction and what preceded it, who was involved in this operation. I know who was the organizer from the Azerbaijani side. I also know that the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Security Service, the Border Service and the head of the customs point in Lagodekhi organized it on the Georgian side. I will show the abduction site, tell the details of my transportation to Azerbaijan and name the place of hand over. I could see halfway through the holes in the sack on my head,” Mukhtarli said.

The Azerbaijani journalist noted that he did not know the kidnappers’ names but could identify them with photos.

“I do not have high expectations from the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office. The Georgian government committed it, the then Prime Minister Kvirikashvili knew about it, probably Ivanishvili knew about it. Therefore, I do not expect anything special from the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office. However, I have to testify to end it. From a legal point of view, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia should have summoned me to Tbilisi within a year, I had to be asked to testify at the crime scene and testify, but they did nothing. During my imprisonment, the Georgian prosecutor’s office stated that the Azerbaijani side banned this meeting. And now I have been free for over a year. I wanted to come to Tbilisi a few months ago, but I was not allowed to leave Berlin. That was done by the Georgian airline when it cancelled my ticket and practically did not allow me to enter Georgia. My lawyers have already applied with the European Court on this case,” Mukhtarli said.

According to Afghan Mukhtarli, he will stay in Tbilisi for 10-15 days.

Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Mukhtarli disappeared from Tbilisi on May 29, 2017. The next day he told his lawyer that he had been forcibly taken to Azerbaijan. An Azerbaijani court has sentenced Afghan Mukhtar to six years in prison. Mukhtarli denies the illegal border crossing, smuggling and resisting border guards charges and considers the case is politically motivated.