Protesters in Tbilisi demanded the release of Afgan Sadygov.
Participants in a rally near the Georgian parliament on the 559th day of daily protests expressed solidarity with journalist Afgan Sadigov, arrested in Azerbaijan.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on June 8, on the 558th day of continuous protests, activists in Tbilisi expressed solidarity with detained Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov and reacted to the results of the parliamentary elections in Armenia.
On February 28, 2025, the ECHR banned Afgan Sadigov's extradition from Georgia to Azerbaijan pending a decision on the merits of the case. Nevertheless, on April 1, Azerbaijan suspended the criminal prosecution of Sadigov and notified Georgia, and on April 4, Sadigov was detained in Tbilisi on administrative charges. The following day, he was deported from the country and handed over to Azerbaijan's Migration Service. On June 8, Sevinj Sadigova reported that her husband had been abducted by masked men in civilian clothes, and it was later learned that Afgan Sadigov was arrested on a reopened extortion case.
The daily protest of supporters of Georgia's European integration took place in Tbilisi this evening for the 559th consecutive time. Activists who came to the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue carrying national and EU flags expressed solidarity with journalist Afgan Sadigov, who was arrested in Azerbaijan, Publika reports.
At least seven protesters held placards with the slogan "Freedom for Afgan Sadigov." Protesters also carried posters reading "Solidarity for Afgan Sadigov" in Azerbaijani and "Freedom until victory," according to a Facebook post by photographer Giorgi Mosiashvili (Mo Se)*.
Some activists, instead of placards, held photographs of Afgan Sadigov taken during the protests.
"Afgan Sadigov's imprisonment in Azerbaijan once again confirms that the 'dreamy' authorities deliberately extradited the journalist to a country where he was subjected to political persecution, illegal imprisonment, and inhumane treatment. This was not only a gross violation of international law and fundamental human rights, but also an act incompatible with Georgian traditions and values," stated the organizers of the solidarity action.
Sadigov is personally known to many of the protesters on Rustaveli Avenue—during his stay in Georgia, the journalist regularly supported the daily demonstrations. He has served several administrative arrests for participating in protests and has been sentenced to numerous large fines. After his deportation, protesters came out to parliament under the slogan: "Solidarity with Afghanistan."
Shortly before his deportation from Georgia, on March 31, Afgan Sadigov once again burned a photograph of Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream, on Rustaveli Avenue. Prior to this, at a protest on February 23, Sadigov burned photographs of Bidzina Ivanishvili, Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin, as well as a picture of a tank with a Russian flag.
Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Thousands of people were subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report, "The Main Thing About the Persecution of Protest Participants in Georgia."