A Baku appellate court, considering a motion to overturn the arrest of opposition journalist Afgan Sadigov, rejected the defense's request and remanded him in custody. This was reported by his wife, Sevinj Sadigova.

She is convinced that the judge did not act independently, but under pressure from Azerbaijan's political leadership. In her opinion, the authorities have no intention of releasing Afgan Sadigov and, on the contrary, are seeking his death in custody.

As a reminder, Afgan Sadigov was arrested on June 8 on charges of extortion. He was restricted from making phone calls and contacting his family.

The journalist's criminal prosecution began in 2024, when he was living in Georgia. Azerbaijani authorities initiated a request for his extradition. However, the European Court of Human Rights ordered Georgia not to extradite Sadigov until his case is completed.

Subsequently, the Azerbaijani side notified Tbilisi that it had terminated the criminal proceedings. On April 5, 2026, Afgan Sadigov was deported from Georgia to Azerbaijan. The official reason given was charges of insulting a government official and a number of administrative offenses related to his participation in protests. In late May, Sadigov reported that he was banned from leaving Azerbaijan.

The journalist moved to Georgia with his family in December 2023 for medical treatment. However, his decision to stay was dictated by persecution in his home country. He also mentioned threats he received in Georgia from individuals associated with Azerbaijan. In May 2020, he was sentenced to seven years in prison in Baku on extortion charges, but was later pardoned. Human rights activists consider his case fabricated.