A court in Tbilisi has fined and deported Azerbaijani activist Afgan Sadiqov after finding him guilty of insulting a police officer on social media.
The Tbilisi City Court ruled that Sadiqov had committed an administrative offence under Article 173 of Georgia’s code of administrative violations, which covers insults directed at law enforcement officials.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the court imposed a fine of 2,000 lari. It also ordered his deportation from Georgia and banned him from re-entering the country for three years.
Sadiqov had been detained by police late the previous night in Tbilisi. Authorities said proceedings were initiated after he allegedly insulted a police officer via social media.
Officials noted that Sadiqov had previously faced administrative penalties multiple times, including for violations related to protest regulations. Georgian authorities said he had been held administratively liable on dozens of occasions and had served two prior terms of administrative detention.
Earlier, his lawyer, Tamta Mikeladze, said the court was considering deportation to Azerbaijan.
The ruling concludes the case, with deportation and entry restrictions now in force.
