The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association requests the suspension of the expulsion procedures for Temur Katamadze

The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) requests the suspension of the expulsion procedures for activist Temur Katamadze.

As explained by GYLA, the practice revealed in Temur Katamadze's case clearly demonstrates that the “Georgian Dream” is unlawfully using legal mechanisms against individuals whose civil activity or criticism is unacceptable to them.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated the expulsion procedures for Temur Katamadze (Gaffar Ilmaz) from Georgia. The precondition for the expulsion was the illegal and unjustified refusal by the Tbilisi Court of Appeals on April 29, 2025, to grant international protection to Temur Katamadze.

The case was handled by a judge who had previously denied Temur Katamadze's request for citizenship. For this reason, Katamadze filed a motion for the judge’s recusal, which was unjustifiably denied. Furthermore, the court once again rejected the testimony of witnesses who could provide information on the significant circumstances that are the basis for granting international protection to Temur Katamadze.

At this stage, the only option for Temur Katamadze to remain legally in Georgia and avoid expulsion was to be granted refugee or humanitarian status.

The decision regarding the expulsion was made by the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs the day after the announcement of the resolution by the Court of Appeals, on April 30. By this decision, Katamadze was given a 10-day deadline to voluntarily leave the country. Temur Katamadze is now addressing the court with a request to annul this decision. We believe that until the court assesses the legality of the decision made by the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the action of this decision should be suspended, and therefore, the expulsion procedures should be halted.

Moreover, Temur Katamadze is currently in a legal dispute with the State Services Development Agency regarding the issue of citizenship, and the court has not yet started the case review.

It is important to note that Temur Katamadze has been living in Georgia since 2012. The initiation of the expulsion procedures is linked to his active and public protest against the ongoing events in the country. Prior to the initiation of the expulsion procedures, the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested him on January 11 and 16, 2025. During his administrative detention on January 11, 2025, he was taken to the Batumi police station, where he was physically assaulted and verbally abused by law enforcement officers. According to him, one of the officers involved was the head of the Batumi police, Irakli Dgebuadze. An investigation has been launched into the incident by the Special Investigation Service.

The practice revealed in Temur Katamadze's case clearly shows that the "Georgian Dream" is unlawfully using legal mechanisms against individuals whose civil activity or criticism is unacceptable to them. The unjustifiable refusal to question witnesses and the adoption of unfounded decisions by the court contradict the principles of a fair trial. Moreover, the immediate initiation of expulsion procedures by the Migration Department, without a final substantiated conclusion from the court, suggests targeted repression against Temur Katamadze,” the statement reads.