IPRF on banning Afghan Sadigov from entering a third country

The Tbilisi-based Institute for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms issued a statement in connection with the ban to Afghan Sadigov,  the founder of the Azerbaijani website Azel.tv on travel from Georgia to third countries to the founder of the Azerbaijani website Azel.tv. The statement of the organization, established in 2018 by a group of Azerbaijani political emigrants, notes that Sadigov moved to Georgia in connection with the repression in Azerbaijan against human rights defenders, journalists and opposition activists.

"After some time, his family returned to Azerbaijan, where his wife Sevinj Sadigova faced police pressure and returned to Georgia," the document says.  On July 17, A. Sadigov was detained at the Tbilisi airport by employees of the Georgian State Border Guard Service when he and his family were about to fly to Türkiye. He was told that he would not be able to leave for a third country and was only allowed to return to Azerbaijan.

The ban on travel to a third country should be regarded as a violation of international legal norms and restriction of freedom of movement. It should be noted that since 2017, in Georgia or immediately after returning from this country to Azerbaijan, a number of Azerbaijani activists and journalists have faced persecution, the statement says.

In particular, in 2017, the deputy chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Gezal Bayramli, was detained at the Azerbaijani-Georgian border.

In the same year, immediately after returning from Georgia, activist Mehman Galandarov was arrested, who subsequently committed suicide in a pre-trial detention center.

Also in 2017, journalist Afgan Mukhtarli was kidnapped in Tbilisi and secretly transported to Azerbaijan.

In 2018, the Georgian authorities stripped political activist Dashgyn Agalarov of his status as a political refugee and demanded that he leave the country.

In 2019, Avtandil Mammadov, an employee of the Institute for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms, was detained and an attempt was made to extradite him to Azerbaijan.

In 2021, blogger Huseyn Bakikhanov died after falling out of the window of the “Stamba” department.

In 2023, journalist Elmaddin Shamilzade was attacked in Tbilisi.

In 2023, an attempt was made to assassinate another member of the Committee of Independent Reporters, Bakhruz Aliyev, by car collision in Georgia.