Information about the search became an obstacle to Sadygov obtaining a foreign passport.

Journalist Afgan Sadygov was unable to obtain a passport at the Masalli District Public Services Center, despite completing the expedited procedure and paying the state fee. The passport was denied because he was on a wanted list.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, security forces detained Afgan Sadygov in Baku on April 6. An hour later, the journalist was released from police custody, but was warned of the possibility of further detention. On April 10, Afgan Sadygov applied to the Public Services Center for an identity document—an internal Azerbaijani passport—but was denied because his military registration information had "disappeared" from the system. On April 25, police detained journalist Afgan Sadigov, deported from Georgia, while collecting his Azerbaijani national ID card. He was later released, with the explanation that he was still listed as wanted in the database, and the document was issued.

As Sevinj Sadigova, the wife of journalist Afgan Sadigov, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, on April 27, her husband applied for an Azerbaijani passport at the Masalli District Public Service Center. She said the journalist submitted his application through an expedited procedure, paying an increased state fee of 135 manat. The expedited procedure provides for the issuance of a passport within three days, and A. Sadygov was informed that he could come to pick up the document on May 1, his wife said.

However, according to her, on the afternoon of April 30, A. Sadygov received a call from the Masalli District State Services Center and was informed that he would not be able to obtain a passport because he was wanted.

“However, the false criminal case against Afgan was closed on April 1. It was on this basis that the Georgian authorities deported him to Azerbaijan, contrary to the decision of the ECHR, claiming that Afgan now does not face imprisonment in Azerbaijan. But the most interesting thing is that last week the deputy chief of police of the Masalli District himself told Afgan that he was no longer wanted, and after that he was given an identity card (internal passport). A police representative promised that the very next working day of this week, that is, this past Monday, the information about Afgan being wanted would be removed from the system. On April 27, Afgan’s documents for a foreign passport were accepted and nothing was said about being “wanted.” One government agency says the search has been cancelled, while another, on the contrary, claims that the search remains in the system,” Sadygova said indignantly.

At the same time, she noted, the Masalli District Public Service Center is demanding that Afgan Sadygov present a notarized document on the closure of the criminal case.

“But how justified is this demand if the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan personally sent a document to the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office terminating the case against Afgan, and on this basis he was hastily deported under cover of night,” Sadygova continued.  

According to her, Afgan Sadygov was not given a document on the closure of the criminal case.

An independent legal expert considers the demand from Sadygov for a document on the closure of the criminal case to be unfounded.

“According to legal and According to administrative procedures, if a criminal case is terminated, all search measures and restrictions against the individual are lifted, and this is reflected in a unified information database accessible to all government agencies. From this perspective, requesting any additional document from the individual regarding the termination of their criminal prosecution is incorrect," the lawyer told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on condition of anonymity.

It was not possible to obtain comment from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan.

As a reminder, Afgan Sadygov regularly participated in protests by Georgian residents after his release from a pretrial detention center in Tbilisi. In the fall of 2025, he served several administrative arrests for participating in blockading Tbilisi streets. For example, on October 23, Sadygov was sentenced to 14 days in jail and also received 54 fines totaling almost $100,000.

Afgan Sadygov arrived in Georgia with his family in December In 2023, he was sent to Georgia for treatment, but remained there due to the crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists, and activists in Azerbaijan. On August 3, 2024, Afgan Sadigov was detained in Tbilisi at the request of the Azerbaijani prosecutor's office, seeking his extradition in connection with a criminal extortion case. The journalist protested his innocence and said he had already received threats from "people from Azerbaijan" in Georgia. Sadigov's family was able to leave Georgia.

Source: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/422739

© Caucasian Knot

Author: Faik Majid, source, Caucasian Knot correspondent