March 30, Giorgo Gogia, Senior Researcher at the Human Righs Watch was prevented from entering the country. His passport was taken from him, without any explanation. It has been over 30 hours that Gogia is at the Baku International Airport.
According to Rachel Denber, Deputy Director of Europe and Central Asia Division at the Human Rights Watch, "Giorgi was planning to attend today’s trial hearing of Intigam Aliev and Rasul Jafarov."
However upon his arrival at Heydar Aliyev International Airport yesterday immigration officers refused to allow him into the country, took his passport without an explanation and told him to remain in the passport hall said Denber.
"Thats where he has been since yesterday 1:30pm Baku time, without his passport".
"We urge the Azerbaijani authorities to return Giorgi’s passport and allow him to leave the country", added Denber in an interview with Azadliq Radiosu.
Giorgi Gogia is an expert on human rights issues in South Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Before joining Human Rights Watch, Gogia worked for International Crisis Group as a senior analyst, researching and writing on protracted conflicts in the South Caucasus – Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and Nagorno-Karabakh.