Court Rules to Extradite Journalist Afghan Sadygov to Azerbaijan
On November 28, the Tbilisi City Court ruled to extradite a critical Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov who had fled Azerbaijan to escape political persecution. The court, under the presiding judge Arsen Kalatozishvili, approved the prosecution’s request for Sadygov’s extradition.
Sadygov has been on hunger strike in the Tbilisi detention center since 21 September. On the 17th day of the hunger strike, he was hospitalized due to deteriorating health.
According to his lawyer, Sadygov will not be able to escape political persecution, torture, and ill-treatment if extradited, due to his journalistic activities and criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities.
Sevinc Sadiqova, the wife of Afgan Sadygov, stated that she did not expect a legitimate outcome: “Ivanishvili has bought the court and is carrying out Aliyev’s orders,” she said. “Afghan will not be the first person to be tortured to death in prison by dictator Aliyev.”
As reported and assessed by international organizations, Afghan Sadygov has been persecuted for years precisely because of his critical journalistic activities. However, the court ignored all concerns about the life-threatening risks that Sadygov could face in an Azerbaijani prison.
The lawyers of Sadygov have seven days to file a lawsuit with the Court of Appeal, followed by appeal to the Supreme Court. If all three instances conclude that Sadygov should be extradited to Azerbaijan, then the extradition will proceed.
The journalist has been reportedly living in Georgia since last December. Sadygov was arrested in Azerbaijan in May 2020 on charges of extortion. He was later sentenced to seven years in prison, which was eventually reduced to four years by the Supreme Court. However, he was released by amnesty after about two years in prison. He went on hunger strike for 242 days in prison.
International organizations, including Amnesty International and the OSCE, have called on Georgia not to extradite Afghan Sadygov to Azerbaijan.
Also Read:
- 12/11/2024 – Protest Near Azerbaijani Embassy to Release Afghan Sadygov
- 18/09/2024 – MIA Migration Department Refuses Afgan Sadygov International Asylum
- 07/08/2024 – U.S. Calls on Georgia to “Expeditiously” Release Critical Azerbaijani Journalist
- 06/08/2024 – International Watchdogs Urge Georgian Government Against Extradition of Critical Azerbaijani Journalist
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)