Afgan Sadigov's expulsion was in agreement with the Azerbaijani authorities - David Zurabishvili

I am absolutely certain that the expulsion of Sadigov was a request from the Azerbaijani authorities, which the Georgian authorities obediently carried out, just like the extradition of Afgan Mukhtarli at the time, - political scientist David Zurabishvili writes about this on social media.

“The deportation of Azerbaijani dissident and civil activist Afgan Sadigov to Azerbaijan is the first precedent of the Georgian authorities effectively ignoring the Strasbourg Court’s decision. It is clear that Sadigov’s expulsion was in agreement with the Azerbaijani authorities. This is indirectly indicated by the completely absurd accusation that was brought against Sadigov in Georgia (insulting a police officer on Facebook), as well as the armed special forces rushing to the house of the displaced dissident to detain him, as if a special operation was being conducted against a gang of terrorists, and, most importantly, the sequence of decisions of the Azerbaijani and Georgian authorities - the termination of the case against Sadigov in Azerbaijan (which became the formal basis for the expulsion, as if this did not violate the Strasbourg ruling) and his expulsion from Georgia Only three days have passed between now and then, and the deportation decision was made on Saturday, when the Strasbourg court is on holiday and there was no immediate response.

Moreover, I am absolutely certain that the expulsion of Sadigov was precisely the request of the Azerbaijani government, which the Georgian government obediently complied with, just as it did when it handed over Afgan Mukhtarli.

The question arises: could the Georgian government have refused to hand over Sadigov to Azerbaijan, even on the pretext of the Strasbourg court? The thing is that, given the policy that Ivanishvili's government is pursuing, refusing such a request is much more difficult today than it was ten years ago, or even during the previous governments.

Why? Very simply: if earlier they could have said about a similar request, "We have great respect for you, but we do not want to spoil relations with the European Union" (which Aliyev would understand), now that the entire Georgian Dream is not throwing the European Union out of the picture today, It would seem that if the Azerbaijani government had something to do with, they would have remembered their friendship with the European Union at least then. And this would have been considered a clearly expressed disrespect, with the consequences that follow.

The main thing, in my opinion, here is not so much the moral image of Ivanishvili's government (which is important and problematic in itself), but the fact that the Georgian government itself has put itself in a position where it is only brave and strong with Brussels and the German ambassador, because it knows that no one from Europe will drop a bomb on them and they will not send special forces to kidnap Bidzina, while with all authoritarian regimes it is an elementary coward and a coward, be it Azerbaijan, Iran or Russia.

And those of you who like such a Georgia and believe that this is truly standing on two feet and protecting sovereignty, I cannot blame you at all and your families are like that I can't say whether you are independent and worthy, but I want you to know just in case that I consider you to be elementary idiots and idiots; and those whom I don't like at all, but still serve and try to arrange their lives with this service, I can't write here what I consider you and what I consider you to be, the internal censor won't let me, but I think you understand. Yes, that's exactly what you are! "- wrote Davit Zirabishvili.