Azerbaijani journalist arrested in Tbilisi; family alleges political repression
Azerbaijani journalist Sadygov has been arrested in Tbilisi
In Tbilisi, Azerbaijani journalist and Azel.Tv editor-in-chief Afghan Sadigov has been arrested. Previously, he claimed that Tbilisi airport officials only allowed him to travel to Azerbaijan and not to other countries.
Sadigov’s wife, Sevinc Sadigova, posted a video of the arrest on social media, alleging that it was carried out on the orders of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. “Georgian law enforcement is following orders from the Azerbaijani dictator,” she said.
The Sadigov family fears that the detained journalist will be extradited to Azerbaijan.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed that Afghan Sadigov, an Azerbaijani citizen, was arrested by the Main Criminal Police Department. He has been sought by Azerbaijan since 2024 for “crimes related to threats and extortion.” Georgian authorities plan to extradite him to Azerbaijan, according to the ministry.
At 8:00 PM, journalists are holding a rally outside the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Tbilisi to support their Azerbaijani colleague.
Who is Afghan Sadigov?
Afghan Sadigov was arrested twice in Azerbaijan, in 2016 and 2020, on charges of extortion. He and his family claim that he is politically persecuted in his home country and that he considers himself a former political prisoner.
He says he has been living in Tbilisi for seven months. Previously, he came to Georgia for treatment a year and a half ago. Sadigov told the Georgian bureau of Radio Free Europe that a prolonged hunger strike in prison had severely affected his health.
“After his treatment, Sadigov returned to Azerbaijan, where the authorities resumed their intimidation and pressure, leading him to decide to move to Tbilisi. He believes returning to Azerbaijan is unsafe,” Radio Free Europe reports.
Afghan Sadigov is listed among the journalists whose release was demanded by the international organization Committee to Protect Journalists in 2019.
Other cases of detention or obstruction faced by Azerbaijani journalists in Georgia
The most notable case involved Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli. A vocal critic of the Azerbaijani government while living in Baku, Mukhtarli emigrated to Georgia, where he obtained residence and lived in Tbilisi for several years.
On May 29, 2017, Mukhtarli was abducted in broad daylight. The following day, it was revealed that he was in a prison in Baku.
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On January 12, 2023, Azerbaijani journalist Seymur Khazi, a prominent critic of the Azerbaijani government, was denied entry into Georgia. At the Sarpi border crossing on the Georgian-Turkish border, he was refused entry without any explanation.
In recent months, 11 journalists have been arrested in Azerbaijan, including almost the entire editorial staff of popular outlets such as Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13. Some have been held in pretrial detention since November 2023.
Many Western organizations and leaders have called for the release of these journalists. The most recent statement came from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), based in New York, in July.
