Journalist Sadygov received 54 fines in Tbilisi for participating in protests.

Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov, arrested in Tbilisi, has been fined the equivalent of nearly $100,000 for participating in protests.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on October 23, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov to 14 days of administrative arrest, finding him one of those who blocked traffic on Rustaveli Avenue.

The Georgian Parliament has toughened penalties for participating in protests

Afgan Sadigov, in addition to administrative arrest, was also fined 270,000 lari (about $99,800), a correspondent reported today Sevinj Sadigova, the wife of journalist Afgan, told the "Caucasian Knot."

"Yesterday (October 27), lawyer Ayhan Hasanli met with Afgan in the Marneuli detention center. The lawyer reported that, in addition to his arrest, a fine has been issued against Afgan. Law enforcement accused him of blocking the road 54 times during protests, and for each incident, he was fined 5,000 lari, for a total of 270,000 lari," she said.

He is being deliberately deprived of contact with his family.

According to his wife, the journalist has been unable to contact his family since his arrest. "Afgan can't call us. The detention center administration stated that calls to France from there are impossible. "However, I have a Georgian number, and Afghan could have called that number. They're just deliberately depriving him of contact with his family. In fact, Afghan didn't break the law. He participated in peaceful protests in solidarity with the Georgian people," Sevinj Sadigova noted.

A lawyer for Aykhan Gasanli confirmed her words to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. He added that Afghan Sadigova denies the charges, disagrees with the punishment, and intends to challenge their legality.

At the same time, the lawyer noted, Sadigova remains cheerful. "The first thing he asked me was whether the new protest on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi had taken place." He asked to convey his gratitude to all those who are worried about him and stated that he will "fight to the end," Gasanli said.

Key points on the persecution of protesters in Georgia

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. They have been holding daily protests on Rustaveli Avenue. Security forces violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. More than a thousand people were subjected to administrative prosecution. On October 27, protesters blocked Rustaveli Avenue for the 334th consecutive day.

As a reminder, on September 20, 2024, Afgan Sadigov announced a hunger strike in a Tbilisi pretrial detention center in protest of his arrest and denial of political asylum. Azerbaijan, meanwhile, demanded that the Georgian authorities extradite him. The journalist only ended his hunger strike in January.

On February 28, the ECHR barred Georgia from extraditing Sadigov to Azerbaijan pending a ruling on the merits of the case. On April 16, a court in Tbilisi released Sadigov on bail, complying with the ECHR ruling.

Afgan Sadigov came to Georgia with his family in December 2023 for medical treatment, but remained there due to the repression of human rights defenders, journalists, and activists in Azerbaijan. On July 17, 2024, Georgian border guards prevented Sadigov from flying to Turkey, explaining that he could only return to his homeland. Sadigov said that he had already received threats in Georgia from "people from Azerbaijan." Sadigov's family was able to leave Georgia and go to a European country.