Commissioner O’Flaherty published a letter today addressed to the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, seeking clarification regarding the criminal proceedings against journalist Afgan Sadigov, who was arrested on 8 June 2026 and subsequently remanded in pre-trial detention.
In 2024, Georgian authorities arrested Mr Sadigov based on an Azerbaijani extradition request related to criminal charges of extortion. Following an indication from the European Court of Human Rights that he should not be removed to Azerbaijan, the Georgian authorities released him on bail on 16 April 2025. After Azerbaijani authorities terminated the criminal case on 1 April 2026, Mr Sadigov was deported back to Azerbaijan on 5 April 2026.
In his letter, the Commissioner referred to his earlier letter to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, asking for the immediate release of all human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists imprisoned for their legitimate work or for expressing dissenting or critical opinions, and for all related criminal charges to be dropped.