Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov released after European Court of Human Rights grants interim measures

The investigative journalist Afgan Sadigov has today been released from detention in Georgia.

The head of the online news platform Azel.TV had been held since August 2024 pending extradition to Azerbaijian. On 28 February, following a request for interim measures made by EHRAC and Social Justice Center, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) granted a permanent injunction designed to prevent Sadigov’s extradition.

Following the ECtHR’s decision, Sadigov ended a 161-day hunger strike. He had been refusing water since early February. He is reported to have lost over 40kg in weight and has required a wheelchair.

On 16 April, he was released on bail.

Azerbaijan had sought Sadigov’s extradition to face allegations of extortion. This is the same charge as has been used to detain a number of journalists and other government critics in Azerbaijan following a renewed crackdown on dissenting voices.

Following his release, Afgan Sadigov commented: ‘The support of the organizations involved in preparing my case before the European Court of Human Rights has been of profound significance to me. Following nearly nine months of imprisonment and a 161-day hunger strike, the European Court of Human Rights emerged as the principal guarantor of protection against authoritarian repression. Its intervention prevented my extradition and reaffirmed that, irrespective of whether my case is officially deemed politically motivated in Georgia or Azerbaijan, justice remains attainable.

‘I extend my deepest gratitude to all those who have supported me throughout this journey. Your solidarity has been essential in sustaining both my personal resolve and the broader fight for human rights.’

Sadigov has previously exposed corruption in Azerbaijan and continues to be a vocal critic of the authoritarian regime in that country. Before moving to Georgia, he faced threats, multiple arrests and ill treatment in Azerbaijan at the hands of the authorities. In 2020, he was sentenced to seven years in prison, reduced to four years on appeal, also on charges of extortion. Having undertaken an extended hunger strike, and suffered serious health problems in detention, he was released after two years as part of a government amnesty. He subsequently left Azerbaijan with his family and has been living in exile in Georgia since December 2023.

Sadigov’s news platform Azel.TV has been repeatedly blocked in Azerbaijan.

This case is highly significant given the current circumstances in the region. It highlights again the widespread ill treatment and repression facing journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan. The Georgian courts’ willingness to approve Sadigov’s extradition, in the absence of any evidence provided by their Azerbaijani counterparts, provides further evidence of the close relationship between the two countries.

Two weeks before his most-recent arrest, Sadigov attempted to board a plane to Turkey, but was told by officials that he could only leave Georgia if he travellied to Azerbaijan.

In 2017, the Azerbaijani journalist and activist Afgan Mukhtarli was abducted from his home in Tbilisi, and forcibly returned to Azerbaijan, passing through both Georgian and Azerbaijan border posts without challenge. He was subsequently sentenced to six years in prison, on trumped-up charges. Prior to his arrest, Mukhtarli had been reporting on alleged corruption by individuals close to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

The latest developments in this case come as the Georgian Dream Government continues to attack civil society groups and media organisations, to disrupt peaceful protests, and to fine and imprison opposition figures. Alongside our partner human rights defenders, EHRAC is continuing to challenge these developments and to fight against civil society repression in both countries.