Washington urges Georgia to release Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov

The US State Department has called on the Georgian government to “immediately” release Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov, who was recently detained in Tbilisi.

Alex Raufoglu, a journalist based in Washington known for addressing Georgian issues during State Department briefings, shared comments from a State Department spokesperson over Sadigov’s arrest.

“We are deeply concerned by reports of Afgan Sadigov’s arrest in Tbilisi. We urge the Georgian authorities to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to release Mr. Sadigov immediately,” Raufoglu quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Sadigov, the editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani media outlet Azel.tv, was detained in Tbilisi on August 3, with plans for his extradition underway.

According to Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sadigov was wanted by Azerbaijan on charges of threats and extortion. However, his family claims the detention was politically motivated, linking it to persecution by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s government.