Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli says that his colleague Afgan Sadygov, who was expelled from Georgia by a city court decision, “faces death” in Baku.

According to Mukhtarli, a “cunning plan” had been prepared in advance, and the “Ivanishvili government” along with “bat-like judges” of the Tbilisi court have effectively signed the death warrant of an innocent journalist.

“I ask Georgian colleagues, Georgia’s democratic forces, and those fighting individuals who have stood side by side with Afgan Sadygov for more than a year at Freedom Square against Ivanishvili’s dictatorship, to protect Afgan Sadygov.

The Tbilisi City Court held a session at night, at 2:00 a.m., like bats, and decided to deport Afgan Sadygov to Azerbaijan. How many times in Georgia’s history has a court session been held on a Sunday at 2:00 a.m.? The State Security Service of Georgia played a direct role in handing Sadygov over to Azerbaijan. At the request of the security service, Afgan is being transferred. Let me remind you that I myself was abducted by the Georgian State Security Service.

A cunning plan had been prepared in advance. Afgan Sadygov’s passport has been deactivated so that he cannot travel to a third country. Death awaits him in Baku. The Ivanishvili government and the bat-like judges of the Tbilisi court have effectively signed the death warrant of an innocent journalist,” Mukhtarli wrote on social media.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadygov was administratively detained for insulting a police officer on social media. He was fined 2,000 GEL, expelled from Georgia, and banned from re-entering the country for three years.

According to his lawyer, the Tbilisi City Court made the decision to deport him to Azerbaijan at 4:00 a.m.

Investigative authorities state that a few days ago, through official sources, the Georgian side was informed that the Azerbaijani Prosecutor’s Office had terminated criminal prosecution in the case for which the European Court of Human Rights had issued an interim measure. Accordingly, all extradition procedures in Georgia were also terminated. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs added that the administrative offense committed by Sadygov includes, in addition to a fine, expulsion from Georgia and a ban on re-entry. Therefore, Afgan Sadygov was expelled to his country of origin and banned from entering Georgia for three years.