The Tbilisi City Court has denied Afghan Sadigov, the head of the Azerbaijani website Azel.Tv, a request to be placed under house arrest. The motion was filed by Sadigov’s lawyers due to a sharp deterioration in his health, his wife, Sevinc Sadigova said.
Afghan Sadigov has been on hunger strike for 42 days in custody. He was brought to court today in a wheelchair because he is unable to walk. Due to his condition, he was unable to attend the prison hospital’s visiting area two days ago to speak with his family.
According to his wife, the court proceedings were formal. “We, along with the children, were not even allowed to approach the glass cage to talk briefly. Afghan was not released despite his serious health issues. Last week, a prison doctor stated that Afghan’s blood sugar had dropped significantly. He could fall asleep at any moment and not wake up,” Sevinc Sadigova said.
She added that a court session regarding the denial of Afghan Sadigov’s asylum application in Georgia is scheduled for November 11.
Afghan Sadigov and his family arrived in Georgia in December 2023, fearing persecution. In July, he was not allowed to leave Georgia for Türkiye, with officials stating that he could only return to Azerbaijan. In August, he was detained at the request of Azerbaijan, where he faces charges of extortion and is being sought for extradition. Since September 21, he has been on hunger strike in protest against his arrest and the refusal to grant him asylum. On October 8, his health deteriorated due to the hunger strike, and he was transferred to the prison hospital.