Frank Schwabe, a member of the German Parliament (Bundestag) and the chairman of the Social Democratic Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, demands the release of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov, who is currently detained in Georgia. The German MP emphasizes that Sadygov is being illegally held under the orders of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and his health condition raises significant concern.
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"Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov is being illegally detained in Georgia at the request of Ilham Aliyev's regime. His health is worrying. He must be released immediately. The Council of Europe observer mission will look into the case," Schwabe wrote on the social network X.
Sadygov, who is in extradition custody, has been on a hunger strike since September 21. He resorted to this extreme form of protest after the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs denied his application for international protection (asylum). Due to the deterioration of his health, the journalist was transferred to a prison treatment facility on October 8. According to human rights defenders, he is experiencing difficulty moving, speaking, and concentrating, and has refused medical assistance.
Afgan Sadygov, a critic of the Azerbaijani government and the editor-in-chief of Azel.Tv, has been living in Georgia since December 2023 with his wife and two minor children. Ministry of Internal Affairs officials arrested him in Tbilisi on August 3, after which the court sentenced him to three months of extradition detention. Sadygov's wife and human rights defenders have stated that if he is extradited to Azerbaijan, he faces the risk of torture and inhumane treatment.
