Azerbaijan re-arrested journalist Sadygov on same charges after extradition case collapsed, NGO head

Tamta Mikeladze, director of the Social Justice Centre and lawyer for Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov, has said her client's detention in Azerbaijan has been officially confirmed, describing the move as evidence of a politically motivated and coordinated operation involving both Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities.

In a statement published on social media on Tuesday, Mikeladze said Sadygov had been arrested on the same charges that previously formed the basis of Azerbaijan's request for his extradition from Georgia.

Mikeladze noted Azerbaijani authorities had stated in early April that the investigation and prosecution against the journalist had been discontinued, leading to the suspension of the extradition request because its legal basis no longer existed.

She said that only 65 days after Sadygov's deportation to Azerbaijan, he was arrested again on the same grounds.

"This clearly shows that the process was a pre-planned, coordinated and fabricated operation," Mikeladze wrote, alleging that the Georgian authorities had participated in the process.

The lawyer argued that Azerbaijan did not wait for a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights before reopening the case and detaining Sadygov.

Mikeladze further claimed that both Azerbaijan and Georgia had acted in bad faith and contrary to their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, adding that the case could result in a significant judgment from the Strasbourg court.

She also raised concerns about Sadygov's welfare in detention, citing what she described as harsh prison conditions and the treatment of political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Mikeladze added the case has moved beyond the circumstances of a single journalist and now represents a broader test of the effectiveness of international human rights protection mechanisms when multiple states are accused of participating in political persecution and transnational repression.