The Media Advocacy Coalition is deeply concerned about the “disappearance” of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli on May 29, who lived in Georgian for the past two years.

During his stay in Georgia, Afgan Mukhtarli and his wife, a Georgian Institute for Public Affairs (GIPA) graduate, worked as journalists, including for meydan.tv. According to news reports, recently they were preparing an investigative report about offshore businesses owned by Ilham Aliyev’s family.

The journalist is currently being held in Baku and requires legal assistance. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia launched a criminal investigation under the article of unlawful detention.

The Media Advocacy Coalition calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia to respond to questions regarding this case as soon as possible, including the question of how it was possible for a journalist to disappear from the Tbilisi center and cross the Georgian border without a passport.