Address of Human Rights Center about Azerbaijani Political Activist Dashgin Agararli’s Case

Human Rights Center is alarmed with the increased threats of prosecution, illegal surveillance and extradition of Azerbaijani civil activists residing in Georgia. The Center is particularly alarmed with the possible participation of the Georgian law-enforcement bodies, in particular the State Security Service, in the series of illegal and criminal acts against the Azerbaijani activists in Georgia.

 

After the criminal abduction of the Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli and extradition to Baku the Azerbaijani HRDs residing in Georgia have become more cautious about their security that is reinforced by illegal surveillance and chasing from identified people in Georgia – most probably the representatives of the Georgian State Security Service. 

 

Human Rights Center defends rights of Dashgin Agarlarli, who states that currently he is absolutely unprotected and is under the risk of being abducted like his friend Afgan Mukhtarli. 

 

Dasghin Agararli is member of the Azerbaijani opposition political party Musavat, who, because of his political views and active criticism of the government, was persecuted by the Government of Azerbaijan for years. In 2013, he, like other political activists, was charged for the evasion from the payment of taxes while he did not work in the private sector at all. 

 

In 2014 Dashgin Agararli was arrested in Georgia when he arrived here from Turkey; he had intention to seek political asylum in Georgia. With the legal aid of Human Rights Center, in 2014 he was released from prison. In March of 2014, Dashgin Aghalarli applied the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia for refugee status for him and his son. The Ministry discussed his application through blatant violation of time limitations. On October 30, 2015 the Ministry did not satisfy their application based on the conclusion of the Counter-Intelligence Department of Georgia. At the same time, the decision of the Ministry states that if Dashgin Agararli returns to Azerbaijan, he may become subject of the political persecution. 

 

The Tbilisi City Court annulled the ungrounded and the illegal refusal of the Ministry and ordered the Ministry of Refugees to grant the refugee status to Dashgin Agararli and his son. 

 

After the court judgment, the persecution and physical oppression on Dashgin Agararli has intensified. One of the incidents happened on September 6, 2016 when two different unidentified people called him on the phone and asked meeting in a square in Tbilisi. One of the persons introduced himself as representative of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the second said he represented the State Security Service. Both institutions later denied that their representatives had contacted Dashgin Agararli but none of them got interested to find out who contacted the Azerbaijani political activist.

 

It is noteworthy that after these incidents, the Tbilisi Appeal Court annulled the decision of the Tbilisi City Court based on the conclusion of the Counter-Intelligence Department and refused Dashgin Agararli to receive refugee status in Georgia. 

 

Human Rights Center calls on:

 

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and State Security Service of Georgia  to take all relevant measures to defend the right to life and security of Dashgin and Orkhan Agararlis;

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia to open investigation into the September 6, 2016 incident when allegedly the representatives of the MIA and State Security Service called Dashgin Agararli and to punish all persons under the law who tried to intimidate the Azerbaijani activist;

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Justice of Georgia to issue temporary identification card to Dashgin and Orkhan Agararlis;

The Human Rights and Civic Integration Parliamentary Committee to get interested in the cases of Dashgin and Orkhan Agararli and ensure the defense of their rights and safety within framework of their competence.

 

Human Rights Center