Rights groups on Afghan Sadygov case: 'Georgia violated ECHR ruling'

Rights groups on the Afghan Sadygov case

The Social Justice Centre (SJC) says Azerbaijani opposition journalist Afghan Sadygov was urgently deported from Georgia to Azerbaijan on 5 April 2026, despite an interim ruling by the European Court of Human Rights blocking his removal.

According to the organisation, authorities deported Sadygov at dawn and did not give him the opportunity to leave the country voluntarily. The centre says Georgia’s actions amounted to a serious violation of the ECHR ruling, which had explicitly barred his transfer to Azerbaijan.

"Georgia deported journalist Sadygov to avoid protests during Azerbaijan’s president’s visit” – view from Baku

“Afghan Sadygov has been criticizing Ilham Aliyev’s government for years and is known for his protest activities”

According to rights groups, information about the incident was promptly submitted to the European Court of Human Rights.

On 10 April 2026, the court asked both sides — the applicant and the governments of Georgia and Azerbaijan — to provide additional explanations.

The court’s main question is whether Sadygov’s transfer violated Article 34 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects the right to submit an individual complaint.

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The Social Justice Centre says the issue is of particular importance, as it directly concerns a state’s obligation not to interfere with an individual’s right to apply to the European Court of Human Rights.

Rights groups say the court will now examine whether the actions of the Georgian government affected the effective exercise of the right to individual petition guaranteed by the Convention.

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According to the centre, the case raises serious concerns that the Georgian authorities may have attempted to evade their international obligations. The organisation stresses that such actions run counter to fundamental principles that prohibit returning a person to a country where they face a real risk of persecution or ill-treatment.

It also highlights the state’s duty to ensure effective legal protection and to comply with binding decisions of international courts.

The Social Justice Centre says it will continue to defend Afghan Sadygov’s interests and plans to use all available legal mechanisms to protect his rights.

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The Sadygov case

On the night of 4 April 2026, Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov, who had criticised the Aliyev government, was arrested at his home in Tbilisi. A court hearing took place the same night, and the judge ordered his deportation from Georgia.

Authorities enforced the decision immediately. Within hours, the journalist — who says Azerbaijani authorities were persecuting him — arrived in Baku. Officially, the case concerns the alleged insult of a police officer on social media. However, the speed and context of the proceedings raise doubts about that explanation.

Azerbaijan had sought Sadygov’s extradition for nearly two years. His lawyers considered the move dangerous and challenged the Georgian courts’ decisions at the European Court of Human Rights, which temporarily halted the process.

Rights groups on the Afghan Sadygov case