AzelTV Founder Afgan Sadigov Detained

Afgan Sadigov, founder of the online media outlet AzelTV and an independent journalist, has been detained following a court decision ordering his pre-trial imprisonment.

According to his lawyer, a criminal case that had been opened against Sadigov in 2024 and later terminated by the Prosecutor General’s Office has now been reopened. He has been charged under Articles 182.2.1 (extortion committed by a group acting in prior conspiracy), 182.2.2 (repeated commission of extortion), and 182.2.4 (extortion committed with the intent of obtaining a substantial amount of property) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

According to the defense, individuals recognized as victims in the case appealed the Prosecutor General’s decision to terminate the proceedings. On June 9, the Binagadi District Court reviewed the complaint, overturned the termination decision, and ordered the case to be returned for further investigation. On the same day, the court ordered Sadigov’s detention until July 30, 2026.

Under Azerbaijani law, extortion is defined as demanding another person’s property, property rights, or other property-related actions through threats of violence, destruction of property, or dissemination of compromising information. Depending on the circumstances, the offense carries penalties ranging from 3 to 15 years of imprisonment. However, the exact classification of the charges against Sadigov has not yet been publicly clarified.

It should be recalled that Afgan Sadigov was deported from Georgia to Azerbaijan on April 5, 2026. Two days earlier, on April 3, the Tbilisi City Court fined him 2,000 GEL for allegedly insulting a police officer on social media, ordered his deportation, and imposed a three-year ban on his re-entry into Georgia. During the night of April 4–5, he was removed from his residence, taken before the court, and subsequently deported to Azerbaijan.

According to available information, Sadigov obtained a foreign passport on May 1 after returning to Azerbaijan. Nevertheless, reports indicate that an existing search order against him remained active in the system, resulting in restrictions on his ability to leave the country.

At the time of publication, no additional official statements had been issued by the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Binagadi District Court, or other relevant state institutions.

Afgan Sadigov and his legal representatives reject the charges and maintain that the prosecution is linked to his journalistic activities.