Journalist Afgan Sadigov removed from courtroom over slogans; hearing postponed to 16 November
At the trial of Azel TV editor-in-chief Afgan Sadigov at the Lankaran Serious Crimes Court, the journalist was forcibly removed from the courtroom, and the hearing was postponed at his lawyer's request.
On 3 November, the Lankaran Serious Crimes Court held a hearing in the criminal case against journalist Afgan Sadigov, editor-in-chief of Azel TV. Sadigov was removed from the courtroom on the judge's order over slogans he shouted during the hearing.
According to his relatives, Afgan Sadigov was brought into the courtroom handcuffed, escorted by five convoy officers, and placed in a glass cage. At the request of lawyer Nemat Karimli, judge Annaghi Mammadli allowed him to be taken out of the glass cage. Although Sadigov was seated next to his lawyer, his handcuffs were not removed.
The judge said seven people had been recognised as victims in the case, three of whom attended the hearing. State prosecutor Taleh Safarov read out the concluding part of the indictment. Sadigov said everything in the indictment was a lie and that he had been arrested on Ilham Aliyev's orders for his journalism, after which he was put back into the glass cage on the judge's instruction.
Lawyer Nemat Karimli asked for the hearing to be postponed, saying he had so far been unable to meet his client and wished to communicate with him confidentially. The prosecutor called the motion groundless, and after deliberation the court decided to continue. Sadigov protested the decision, saying this was not a court, called Ilham Aliyev and State Security Service chief Ali Naghiyev 'bandits', and shouted the slogans 'Down with dictatorship!' and 'Freedom for political prisoners!'
The judge ordered his removal from the courtroom, and convoy officers pushed Sadigov out; he continued shouting the same slogans as he was being removed. The lawyer then said his client's right to defence had been violated and again asked for a postponement. This time the judge granted the motion, and the hearing was postponed to 16 November.
Afgan Sadigov is the founder and editor-in-chief of the Azel TV online news site and the YouTube channel of the same name. His reports mainly covered corruption cases, social problems and the conduct of officials.
He was detained in May 2020 and sentenced to 7 years in prison on charges of extortion, and was released two years later under a pardon decree signed by Ilham Aliyev. Because of pressure, he moved to Georgia with his family in December 2023. In May 2024 a new criminal case on extortion charges was opened against him in Azerbaijan; in August of that year he was detained in Georgia on Azerbaijan's extradition request and, following a ban by the European Court of Human Rights, was released on bail in April 2025.
