Afgan Mukhtarli - Q&A - From the Press Briefing (26 septembre 2019)

Q: After being returned by force from his exile in Georgia, the famous investigative journalist Afgan Mukhtarli has been imprisoned in Azerbaijan for more than two years on the basis of accusations deemed false by human rights organizations. They assert that his rights and those of his attorney are chronically violated in prison. Does France have any comment?

A: France reiterates its commitment to the freedom of the press and freedom of expression worldwide. As reaffirmed in the recent EU statement on the sidelines of the OSCE’s Human Dimension Implementation Meeting, which began in Warsaw on September 16, France and its European partners are closely following the situation of journalist Afgan Mukhtarli. It calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to respect Mr. Mukhtarli’s rights.