Giorgi Kvirikashvili, June 19, 2017. Photo: gov.ge

Speaking to reporters on June 19, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili called for avoiding “premature conclusions” over the case of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli.

“The investigation is underway, we need to let the state institutions complete the ongoing procedures,” the Prime Minister stated.

“I do not consider it right to make premature conclusions on video footages or [other] case-related evidence,” PM Kvirikashvili added, referring to the investigative report of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which said on June 14 that the video footage from a camera of a private business located on the route Mukhtarli took on May 29 “appears to be doctored.”

The Prime Minister urged for avoiding premature conclusions previously as well. On June 1, three days after Mukhtarli’s reported abduction, PM Kvirikashvili said he “understands full well the concerns of our citizens and human rights organizations, but would like to stress that it is unacceptable to make premature conclusions.”