Georgia moves to deport long-term resident amid accusations of political repression

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has initiated deportation procedures against Turkish citizen of Georgian origin Temur Katamadze, also known as Gaffar Yilmaz, following a controversial court ruling that denied him international protection.

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) on Tuesday claimed the decision was politically motivated and part of a broader pattern of repression against civic activists.

The organization said the Tbilisi Court of Appeal on April 29 rejected Katamadze’s request for refugee or humanitarian status - the only legal grounds that would have allowed him to remain in Georgia. The very next day, on April 30, the Ministry's Migration Department issued a formal expulsion order, giving him 10 days to leave the country voluntarily.

Katamadze, who has lived in Georgia since 2012, has filed a legal appeal seeking to halt the deportation order. His lawyers argued that the court failed to uphold fair trial standards, including denying a request to recuse the judge - who had previously rejected Katamadze’s citizenship application - and refusing to hear key witnesses.

GYLA further alleged that Katamadze’s removal was linked to his open criticism of the government and involvement in protest movements against halted EU integration. He was detained twice in January 2025, during demonstrations in Batumi, and claimed he was physically assaulted and verbally abused by law enforcement officers, including the head of the Batumi Police Department. The Special Investigation Service has reportedly opened an inquiry into the alleged mistreatment.

Katamadze’s legal team insists that until the courts rule on the legality of the expulsion order, deportation procedures should be suspended. They also point out that a separate lawsuit regarding his citizenship application was still pending and has yet to be heard.

In March, the Tbilisi City Court also denied his request for refugee status. He is currently being held at a temporary migration detention centre operated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In its statement, GYLA condemned what it called a misuse of legal mechanisms by Georgian authorities to target government critics, warning that the swift initiation of deportation proceedings without a final legal judgment undermined the rule of law.