Arrested Azerbaijani opposition journalist Afgan Sadigov has been banned from making phone calls and communicating with his relatives. He is currently being held in a pretrial detention facility in the Kurdakhani village of Baku, his wife reported.

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office reopened a closed criminal case against Sadigov. His arrest was extended until July 30.

In 2024, an investigation was launched against the journalist on suspicion of extortion. At the time, he was living in Georgia, and Azerbaijani authorities submitted a request for his extradition. However, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Georgia could not extradite Sadigov until his complaint had been fully examined.

Later, Azerbaijan notified Tbilisi of the closure of the criminal case. On April 5, Sadigov was expelled from Georgia to Azerbaijan. The official reason cited for his arrest is accusations of insulting a government official, as well as 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, but chose to remain there due to persecution in his home country. He also reported receiving threats in Georgia from individuals associated with Azerbaijan. In May 2020, he was sentenced in Baku to seven years in prison on extortion charges, but was later pardoned. Human rights activists consider the case fabricated.