Journalist Afgan Sadigov Released in Baku Following Brief Detention
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov was briefly detained and released by police in Baku on Monday, April 6, 2026, just one day after his controversial deportation from Georgia.
Sadigov's wife, Sevinc Sadigova, first reported the detention on Facebook, stating that her husband had been taken by officers to an unknown location. She characterized the previous day's deportation as a "politically motivated order."
According to Tamta Mikeladze, a human rights defender with the Social Justice Center, Sadigov was held for approximately 40 minutes at a police station. Officers reportedly took him from the street, claiming he was still listed as a "wanted individual."
"At the police station, it was clarified that he remained listed as wanted due to an old case," Mikeladze explained in a social media update. She noted that procedures were eventually carried out to remove him from the list after the necessary checks. While Sadigov has returned home, Mikeladze emphasized the "reality of vulnerability and fear" he now faces in Azerbaijan.
The journalist's return to Baku follows a rapid series of legal maneuvers in Georgia. Sadigov was arrested in Tbilisi late on April 4 for allegedly "insulting a police officer" on social media. In a 4 am ruling on April 5, Judge Tornike Kochkiani ordered his immediate deportation and a three year reentry ban.
The Georgian Interior Ministry justified the move by citing migration laws that allow for the expulsion of foreign nationals who commit administrative offenses. This occurred despite a prior interim ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) that had barred Sadigov's extradition to Azerbaijan due to safety risks.
Georgian authorities argued the ECtHR measure was no longer relevant because Baku had recently terminated the specific criminal proceedings that triggered the original extradition request. However, critics and legal experts maintain that the deportation was a calculated effort to bypass international protections.
The timing of these events has drawn significant scrutiny, as Sadigov's deportation took place exactly one day before Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Georgia for an official state visit. President Aliyev is scheduled to meet with top Georgian officials and Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili to discuss strategic and economic partnerships.
Sadigov, the founder of Azel.tv, had lived in Georgia since 2023 and was an active participant in anti-government protests in Tbilisi prior to his arrest. Despite his release from police custody on Monday, his defenders continue to warn that he remains at "gravest risk" following his forced return to his home country.
