On the 13th day of his hunger strike, the health condition of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov, who is being held under extradition detention in Tbilisi, has deteriorated. Sadygov took this extreme measure of protest following the Migration Department's refusal to grant him international protection. According to human rights defenders, the detainee is now struggling to move, speak, and concentrate.
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On October 2, Rights Georgia lawyer Rusudan Mchedlishvili visited Sadygov in the detention center.
"Despite his [Sadygov's] refusal, we have still requested his transfer to the prison medical center, as his health has significantly worsened over the past few days. He has been on hunger strike since September 21, after the Migration Service denied him international protection. We have informed the public defender and the prison administration about his condition to ensure he is transferred to the prison medical facility for examination, and we are awaiting a response," Mchedlishvili told Georgian News.
On September 16, the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs refused to grant political asylum to Afgan Sadygov. Documents written in Azerbaijani were handed to the detainee. Human rights defenders have requested Georgian translations of the decision. As per their information, the department's reasoning is based on the claim that the Azerbaijani authorities did not treat Sadigov inhumanely or torture him, and that there are no significant violations of his human rights.
"The Migration Department also refers to a diplomatic guarantee provided by the Azerbaijani authorities, which we have not yet received. We do not know what information this document contains. We will request it and appeal the decision by October 16," Mchedlishvili added.
Afgan Sadygov, a journalist critical of the Azerbaijani government and editor-in-chief of the publication Azel.tv, had been living in Tbilisi with his wife and two minor children since December 2023. He was arrested by the Ministry of Internal Affairs on August 3. The following day, the court sentenced him to three months of extradition detention. Sadigov's wife and human rights defenders argue that, if extradited to Azerbaijan, he faces torture and inhumane treatment.
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