Afgan Sadygov Continues Hunger Strike in Georgian Prison

Afgan Sadygov, the head of the Azerbaijani website “Azel TV”, who was arrested in Georgia, is now on his third day of a hunger strike in pre-trial detention. He is protesting against what he calls unjust criminal prosecution and demanding his release, his wife, Sevinc Sadygova, told Turan. Today, she spoke with her husband by phone and noted that he has been moved to a cell with other inmates who are also on hunger strike.

In this cell, inmates have their blood pressure measured twice a day. However, Sadygov has not received any medical assistance so far. Sevinc Sadygova stated that she plans to appeal to the Georgian ombudsman to draw attention to her husband’s hunger strike.

Afgan Sadygov began his journey on September 20 after Georgian authorities refused to grant him political asylum. It is worth noting that Sadygov arrived in Georgia with his family in December 2023, fearing persecution. In mid-July, he was not allowed to leave Georgia for Türkiye, being informed that he could only fly to Azerbaijan.

In August, he was detained in response to an extradition request from Azerbaijan, where he is accused of extortion. The journalist denies the charges. Previously, he had been convicted twice in Azerbaijan, and human rights organizations recognized him as a political prisoner on both occasions.