On the 17th day of his hunger strike, Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov, who is detained in Tbilisi, was transferred to the prison medical facility. His wife and human rights defenders have shared this information. Currently, the prisoner's health condition remains unknown.
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"I was contacted by my wife, who received information from the prison that he was being transferred to the prison treatment facility. I do not rule out that his health condition has worsened; however, there is another point - we had requested to transfer him to a medical institution due to his weak condition. It's difficult for him to move; he hasn't received anything, not even medical help," Rusudan Mchedlishvili, a lawyer from Rights Georgia, told Mtavari Arkhi.
Afgan Sadygov, a critic of the Azerbaijani government and editor-in-chief of Azel.TV, was arrested in Tbilisi on August 3. As per information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, he was wanted by Azerbaijan in connection with a case involving threats and extortion. It was revealed that a case was initiated against the journalist in Baku in May 2024, which, according to family members, is related to Sadygov's activities and criticism of the government.
On August 4, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Afgan Sadygov to three months of extradition detention. The decision was appealed to the appellate court, but the higher instance deemed the appeal inadmissible.
The journalist began a hunger strike in the detention center after the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs denied his request for international protection (asylum). The agency concluded that, in the event of extradition to Azerbaijan, he would not face the threats he mentioned in his statement.
As Afgan Sadygov's wife, Sevinj Sadygova says, the journalist is on hunger strike to protest the unfounded criminal prosecution against him and to demand his release. "Afgan believes that since the law does not apply in Azerbaijan or Georgia, he is forced to resort to the extreme measure of a hunger strike. He will starve until his rights are restored," Sadygova said.
Afgan Sadygov had lived in Georgia with his family since December 2023. About two weeks before his arrest, in July, he attempted to travel to Turkey with his wife and children, but the Georgian border guards at Tbilisi International Airport did not allow him to cross the border. They did not arrest him at that time and explained that he could only return to Azerbaijan. The Sadygovs do not feel safe in Georgia, which is why they wanted to leave the country.
On this topic:
Georgia Urged Not to Extradite Afgan Sadygov to Azerbaijan
US Urges Georgian Authorities to Release Afgan Sadygov Immediately
