Tbilisi court rules on extradition of Afgan Sadigov to Azerbaijan

On November 28, the Tbilisi City Court ruled to extradite Afgan Sadigov, the head of the  website Azel.TV, to Azerbaijan. This was reported by his wife Sevinj Sadigova. The defense will appeal the court's decision.

The Center for Social Justice of Georgia, which defends the rights of the journalist, reported that the country's Prosecutor General's Office filed a petition with the court, requesting Afgan Sadigov's extradition to Azerbaijan.

Afgan Sadigov and his defense lawyers stated in court that his extradition to Azerbaijan would mean political persecution for his criticism of government corruption.

The defense presented the court with facts that Sadigov had previously been persecuted, tortured, and inhumanely treated, and this would be repeated if he were extradited.

However, the court did not take all these statements into account.

* Afgan Sadigov and his family arrived in Georgia in December 2023, fearing persecution. In July, he was not allowed to leave Georgia for Turkey, saying that he could only return to Azerbaijan.

In August, Sadigov was taken into custody at the request of Azerbaijan. In Baku, he is accused of extortion and extradition is being sought. Since September 21, he has been on a hunger strike, protesting his arrest and the refusal to grant him asylum.

On October 8, as a result of the hunger strike, his condition worsened and he was transferred to a prison hospital. The Georgian authorities refused to grant him political asylum.