Hunger striker arrested during Georgia’s pro-European protests transferred to medical facility after 48 days

Temur Katamadze, who was arrested during pro-European protests in the city of Batumi, western Georgia, earlier this year and has been on hunger strike for 48 days, has been transferred to a medical facility, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) announced on Wednesday.

GYLA said Katamadze’s last medical examination took place on 15 February when he was temporarily taken to a medical facility for a health check. However, despite his request for hospitalization, he was returned to the detention center on the same day.

Following his return, Katamadze refused further medical examinations in protest. GYLA said that repeated requests for information regarding his health condition after 9 February had gone unanswered by the Migration Department of Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Additionally, the association said it had not received medical documentation over his examination on 15 February or the results.

Katamadze, 56, claims to have lost more than 20 kilograms since beginning his hunger strike. He reportedly feels weak and has difficulty moving, which led to his decision to accept transfer to a medical facility for a health check.

His case is set to be reviewed by Tbilisi City Court on March 18, where he is appealing the decision of the Migration Department to deny him refugee or humanitarian status. According to GYLA, his application was rejected within three days of submission.

Also known as Gaffar Yilmaz, Katamadze is a descendant of the Muhajirs and has long sought Georgian citizenship. He has previously been denied citizenship three times. A passionate advocate of Georgian language, history, and culture, he was well known in Batumi prior to his arrest, often dressed in traditional Georgian attire and carrying the national flag. This earned him the nicknames “Batumi’s flag-bearer” and “flag-bearer Babu.”

Katamadze had been a prominent figure at protests, including demonstrations against the controversial foreign agents law. He stated that his hunger strike was a protest against what he calls the “deliberate, mass denial of Georgian citizenship” to ethnic Georgians from Turkey, Iran, and Azerbaijan over the past 13 years under the current Georgian Dream government.

Initially detained in Batumi under administrative rules, he was later re-arrested, with authorities citing his lack of legal residency in Georgia. His case has sparked concerns among human rights groups and activists.