The United States of America has called on the Georgian authorities to "immediately" release Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov, who was arrested on August 3 in Tbilisi for extradition to Azerbaijan. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller conveyed this message to Alex Raufoglu, the Washington correspondent for the Azerbaijani publication Turan.
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"We are deeply troubled by reports of Afghan Sadygov being detained in Tbilisi. We urge Georgian authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and release him expeditiously,
His arrest occurs in the context of a continuing crackdown on arrests of Azerbaijani civil society and we again urge the Azerbaijani government to immediately release all individuals who are unjustly detained, to refrain from targeting civil society - including across borders - and to end efforts to undermine press freedom," said Miller.
The publication Turan writes that the editor-in-chief of Azel.Tv, Afgan Sadygov, is a former political prisoner who was arrested several times in Baku after 2016 and spent more than a year in prison for his journalistic activities.
Amnesty International and the International Press Institute also responded to Sadygov’s imprisonment. Amnesty International states that the Georgian authorities should immediately stop efforts to extradite the journalist in accordance with their obligations under international law and the principle of non-refoulement. They should also provide him and his wife with international protection if they request it. According to Amnesty International, Sadygov’s case is a continuation of the trend of uprooting independent media in Azerbaijan.
Two weeks before his arrest, Afgan Sadygov tried to leave for Turkey with his wife and two minor daughters, but the Georgian border guards at Tbilisi International Airport did not allow him to cross the border, explaining that he could only return to Azerbaijan.
Afgan Sadygov has been living in Georgia since December 24, 2023. He says he came for treatment, but due to threats against him and a new wave of arrests of Azerbaijani journalists, he never returned to his homeland. The Sadigovs did not feel safe in Georgia, which is why they wanted to leave the country.
According to his lawyer, a criminal case against Afgan Sadygov was initiated in Azerbaijan in May without his knowledge. He is charged with extortion and threats. The family believes that the journalist is being persecuted for criticizing the government of Azerbaijan and is being detained by order of President Ilham Aliyev.
