Azerbaijani border guards refuse to give checkpoint video to Mukhtarly's defence

The Azerbaijani State Border Service has rejected the defence's request to study the details of Afghan Mukhtarly's detention on the Georgian border. According to the defence, this indicates the authorities' unwillingness to consider the journalist's version of his kidnapping in Tbilisi.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 7, Mukhtarly urged Georgian authorities to make public records of CCTV cameras in Tbilisi and at the checkpoint on the border with Azerbaijan, which, as he said, could confirm the version of his kidnapping in Georgia.

On June 13, the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Azerbaijan denied the version of Mukhtarly's detention in Tbilisi, saying that the journalist was detained on the border.

According to Elchin Sadygov, an advocate, the defence asked to conduct an examination of the fingerprints on the banknotes, which, according to investigators, were found on Mukhtarly on the border.

Besides, the defence asked to provide video records of CCTV (surveillance) cameras, located at the border and customs checkpoint "Mazymchay" in the Balaken District of Azerbaijan.

The third petition was related to the medical examination of violence traces on Mukhtarly's body.

Elchin Sadygov also said that on June 10 and 11, he visited Tbilisi: "Georgian border guards said that it is impossible to cross the border in a wrong place; the border is completely under control."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.