Analyst suggests possible case against journalist Sadigov after Aliyev’s Tbilisi visit

A Georgian conflict analyst has suggested that new legal action could be brought against Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadigov following the conclusion of the visit by Ilham Aliyev to Tbilisi which is scheduled today.

Paata Zakareishvili said he believed there may be an understanding between Georgia and Azerbaijan regarding Sadigov’s situation.

He claimed that after Aliyev’s visit, authorities could either reopen the same case against the journalist with modifications or initiate a different one.

Zakareishvili also alleged that decisions affecting individuals’ fates were increasingly being influenced by political considerations, describing this as a sign of authoritarian governance.

He further noted Sadigov’s transfer to Azerbaijan may have been linked to diplomatic expectations from Baku, although no official confirmation of such an arrangement has been made.

Sadigov was detained on 4 April by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia under administrative procedures. A court in Tbilisi later found him guilty of an offence under Article 173 of the administrative code, related to insulting a police officer on social media.

He was fined 2,000 lari, expelled from Georgia, and banned from re-entering the country for three years. He is currently reported to be in Baku with relatives.