Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov’s health deteriorates amid prolonged hunger strike in Georgia

Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Sadigov, who has been on a prolonged hunger strike, was visited by lawyers from the Social Justice Center at Georgia’s N18 prison hospital.

According to the organization, Sadigov remains in critical condition, refusing both water and essential supplements necessary for survival. His health has severely deteriorated—he struggles to speak, relies on a wheelchair for mobility, and experiences frequent episodes of unconsciousness.

On February 5, the Social Justice Center reported that Sadigov had become unresponsive for several hours before prison hospital doctors managed to stabilize him. Despite his deteriorating condition, Sadigov escalated his protest on February 2, 2025, by declaring an absolute hunger strike, including refusing water. His decision came after a court extended his pretrial detention by three months, despite a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling prohibiting his extradition to Azerbaijan.

Following pleas from his family and legal team, Sadigov agreed to resume drinking water on February 6, but he continues to reject vital supplements, which were previously administered via IV with his consent.

Sadigov has been on hunger strike for 143 days, and his weight has dropped to 56 kg, a loss of over 40 kg since his detention. Prison doctors warn that his prolonged starvation could lead to irreversible damage to his health.

His condition was further worsened by his previous 242-day hunger strike in 2020 when he was sentenced to seven years in prison in Azerbaijan. His health deteriorated so severely that he required long-term rehabilitation and medical treatment abroad.

Sadigov began his hunger strike on September 21 at Tbilisi’s pretrial detention facility, where he was hospitalized on the 17th day due to medical complications. He was arrested in Tbilisi on August 3, with Georgian authorities stating that Azerbaijan had issued a warrant for him on charges of extortion and blackmail. However, his family, human rights organizations and independent media consider his detention to be politically motivated persecution by President Ilham Aliyev’s government.