‘Abducted’ Azerbaijani journalist jailed

BAKU: An investigative journalist was sentenced to six years in jail by an Azerbaijani court on Friday on smuggling and related charges in a case that has been condemned by human rights groups. Afgan Mukhtarli, 44, has always claimed he was kidnapped after disappearing from the Georgian capital Tbilisi in May last year, only to later reappear under arrest in the Azerbaijan capital Baku. The Azerbaijani authorities charged him with crossing the border illegally while attempting to smuggle money, cash that the journalist insists was planted on him.