Yesterday, the Tbilisi city court granted the request of the prosecutor’s office to extradite the Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadigov to Azerbaijan, “Кавказский узел” reports.
Within eight days, Sadigov’s lawyers can appeal the city court’s decision to the Supreme Court.
In 2020, Sadigov was sentenced to seven years in prison on other charges and was released on amnesty in 2023, after which he settled in Georgia with his family. At the request of Baku, Georgian authorities arrested him in August 2024. Baku accuses him of extortion. As a sign of protest, the journalist has been on hunger strike in Tbilisi prison since September 20.
The Sadigov family claims that they left Azerbaijan, fearing reprisals.
The Migration Service of Georgia had earlier rejected Sadigov’s request for political asylum.