Human rights activists have pointed to the risk of criminal prosecution against Afgan Sadygov.

A Tbilisi court has sent the case file of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov, who participated in street protests, to the police. Sadigov faces criminal prosecution, human rights activists said.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov, who spent a long time in a Tbilisi pretrial detention center, regularly participated in protests after his release. For example, on October 17 and November 11, 2025, he burned portraits of Bidzina Ivanishvili and Vladimir Putin during a protest on Rustaveli Avenue. On January 13, during a protest, Afgan Sadigov burned an image of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

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Tbilisi City Court Judge Nino Enukidze terminated the administrative proceedings against Afgan Sadigov, citing elements of a criminal offense, and transferred the materials "for further action" to the Tbilisi Police Department. Thus, the risk of criminal prosecution for the journalist has arisen, the human rights organization "Social Justice Center" stated on January 17.

The court stated that since the journalist had previously been punished on the same charges, his actions could be subject to criminal liability. The Social Justice Center recalled that, according to the position of the Constitutional Court of Georgia, temporary traffic restrictions cannot serve as grounds for criminal prosecution of peaceful protesters and are contrary to freedom of assembly, InterPressNews reports.

The Social Justice Center noted that courts are terminating administrative proceedings in similar cases against other protest participants and sending the materials to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is related to the tightening of Georgian legislation, the publication states.

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

Azerbaijan demanded that the Georgian authorities extradite Sadigov, and the journalist was placed under arrest. On September 20, 2024, he went on a hunger strike in a Tbilisi pretrial detention center to protest his arrest and denial of political asylum. He only ended his hunger strike in January 2025.

On February 28, 2025, the ECHR prohibited Georgia from extraditing Sadigov to Azerbaijan pending a decision on the merits of the case. On April 16, a court in Tbilisi released Sadigov on bail, complying with the ECHR ruling.

The main thing about the persecution of protesters in Georgia

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and The release of political prisoners. They hold daily protests on Rustaveli Avenue. In October 2025, after laws on assemblies and demonstrations were tightened, security forces began mass arrests of protesters. Most of them were accused of blocking the avenue and obstructing traffic.