The Commissioner of the Council of Europe requested explanations from Baku regarding the case of Afghan Sadigov.

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O'Flaherty, called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to provide information on the reasons for the resumption of the criminal case against journalist Afghan Sadigov. He noted that pre-trial detention should be applied as an exceptional measure. The Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office stated that the journalist's case is related to criminal charges and has nothing to do with his activities.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan resumed a previously closed criminal case of extortion against Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadigov, and on June 8, the court chose a measure of restraint in the form of arrest. The appellate court in Baku rejected the appeal against the arrest of journalist Afghan Sadigov, leaving him in custody, his wife reported on June 18.

The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Michael O'Flaherty, expressed concern about the criminal prosecution of Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadigov and appealed to the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan to clarify the circumstances of the resumption of the case and the choice of a measure of restraint in the form of arrest, according to a statement published on the organization's website on July 9.

In the letter, the commissioner reminded that he had previously called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to release journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society activists detained "in connection with legitimate professional activities or critical statements."

The Commissioner of the Council of Europe stated that pre-trial detention should be applied as an exceptional measure.

"Pre-trial detention should remain an exceptional measure, and the necessity of its application should be regularly reviewed to ensure compliance with international human rights standards," emphasized O'Flaherty in his letter dated June 30.

He requested explanations from the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan regarding the reasons for the resumption of the case and the necessity of detaining the journalist instead of alternative measures of restraint.

A scan of the response from the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan, Kamran Aliyev, dated July 7, is also published on the Council of Europe website.

It states that the criminal prosecution of Sadigov is not related to his journalistic activities or critical views, but to "charges of committing a criminal offense." It also indicates that the actions of the law enforcement agencies of Azerbaijan "are carried out in accordance with national legislation and international obligations," and the decision to detain and keep Sadigov in custody was made "on legal grounds" due to complaints from victims.

Sadigov's lawyer Nemat Kerimli told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" that the defense appealed the journalist's arrest, but the appellate court upheld the decision on pre-trial detention.

According to the lawyer, the investigative body informed the defense that the pre-trial detention would soon be completed, and therefore the defense did not take new steps to change the measure of restraint, planning them for the beginning of the expected trial.

"But now it has become known that the investigation is not yet concluding, and therefore we will soon submit a separate petition to change the measure of restraint to house arrest," said the lawyer.

He emphasized that Sadigov rejects the charges.

As noted by Kerimli, in 2024, a criminal case against Sadigov was opened based on complaints from two officials of the local authorities of the Neftchala district, and later the head of a medical institution in the city of Sumgait joined them. They claimed that Sadigov allegedly extorted money from them. "Now they have 'resumed' their complaints, and on this basis, Afghan Sadigov was arrested," said Kerimli.

The lawyer refrained from further comments, citing obligations to maintain the confidentiality of the investigation.

At the same time, as Kerimli noted, the journalist has no complaints about the conditions of detention.

It was not possible to obtain comments from the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan.

In August 2024, Afghan Sadigov's wife called the accusations against her husband in Azerbaijan false. "How could Afghan have committed this 'crime' if he has been in Georgia since the end of December last year (2023)? The Azerbaijani authorities are simply worried that Afghan might leave Georgia for a third country, and hastily fabricated a criminal case. They are punishing him for not remaining silent about injustice, arbitrariness, and lawlessness. Afghan did not remain silent in Georgia either, continuing to criticize the Azerbaijani authorities on social media," said Sevinc Sadigova in a broadcast on her Facebook page.

On her page, Sadigova also published photos from protests by Georgian activists who took to the streets with placards: "Freedom to Afghan Sadigov."

Sadigov is personally acquainted with many participants in the protests on Rustaveli Avenue - during his stay in Georgia, the journalist regularly supported daily demonstrations. He has been administratively arrested several times for participating in protests and was sentenced to numerous large fines. After his expulsion, protesters went out to the parliament under the slogan: "Solidarity with Afghan."

Shortly before his deportation from Georgia, on March 31, Afghan Sadigov once again burned a photograph of the founder of the "Georgian Dream," Bidzina Ivanishvili, on Rustaveli Avenue. Prior to that, at an event on February 23, Sadigov burned photographs of Bidzina Ivanishvili, Vladimir Putin, and the Kremlin, as well as a picture of a tank with the Russian flag.