Afgan Sadygov

Afgan Sadigov is an Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist. Having served multiple prison sentences in his native Azerbaijan due to his reporting on government embezzlement, he fled to Georgia in 2023. Between 2024 and 2026, Sadigov was the subject of extradition proceedings; shortly after the extradition request was dropped, Sadigov was deported back to Azerbaijan, where he was arrested in June 2026.

Career Sadigov worked as editor-in-chief of AzelTV, where he specialised in producing stories about the embezzlement of public funds by government officials. He frequently wrote articles about social justice, and was critical of President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and his government.

Arrests and prison sentences (2016–2022) In 2016, Sadigov was arrested and charged with assault. He denied the charges against him, but was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.

During Sadigov's time in prison, he was considered a prisoner of conscience by human rights groups such as the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. The Committee to Protect Journalists called on Azerbaijani authorities to drop the "fabricated" charges against him, and to release him "immediately".

On 3 August 2024, Sadigov was arrested by Georgian authorities following a request from Azerbaijan, which stated it was conducting a preliminary investigation into "threats and extortion". His lawyer stated that they did rule out the possibility that the charges were a "fabrication" to enable Sadigov to be extradited back to Azerbaijan; a few weeks earlier, Sadigov had been prevented by Georgian officials from travelling to Turkey, being told he could only travel to Azerbaijan.

On 28 November 2024, a court in Tbilisi ordered Sadigov's extradition to Azerbaijan. His wife, Sevinj Sadigova, issued a statement alleging that he would experience political persecution in Azerbaijan, stating that "[Bidzina] Ivanishvili bought the court and is carrying out Aliyev's orders". In January 2025, the decision was temporary suspended by the European Court of Human Rights, pending a final decision, due to concerns that Sadigov's rights would be violated in Azerbaijan.

Several human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, the International Press Institute and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, called on the Georgian government to not extradite Sadigov.

On 21 September 2024, Sadigov began a hunger strike in protest against his extradition, losing 40 kilograms. In October, he was hospitalised. He later refused to return to hospital, and intensified his strike in February 2025 by refusing to drink, though reversed his decision following pressure from his wife and his lawyer. On 13 February 2025, the public defender of Georgia warned of "rapid medical complications" in Sadigov's case.

On 16 April 2025, Sadigov was released on a 5000 GEL bail, a few days before his pre-extradition detention expired, though he remained subject to a travel ban. Human rights groups expressed concern that Sadigov could face further persecution in Azerbaijan. Following a court hearing later that day, he was ordered to be held in pre-trial detention until 30 July.

Human Rights Watch called on Azerbaijani authorities to be "immediately released" and for the "politically motivated" charges against him to be dropped.