Court denies refugee status to activist Temur Katamadze, ordering his deportation
Headline: Georgian Court Turns Away Turkish-Georgian Activist, Set to Deport
Hey there! Here's a low-down on the situation with Temur Katamadze, a well-known activist from Batumi.
This fellow, who's also known as Gaffar Yilmaz, has hit a roadblock in his quest for refugee or humanitarian status in Georgia. The Georgian court has denied his plea, and now the deportation process is underway.
Mariam Gabroshvili, a lawyer with the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, represented Katamadaze in court. She shared that the court's decision could lead to his removal from the country.
Katamadze is a Turkish citizen with roots in Georgia, a fact that makes his story even more intriguing. He had previously been rejected for both Georgian citizenship and residency. But at protests in Batumi, he was known for waving the Georgian national flag, earning the title of 'flag bearer.'
Katamadze feared unlawful imprisonment if he returned to Turkey due to his past work providing legal and translation services to members of Fethullah Gülen's group. Unfortunately, the court rejected his request to question witnesses who could have bolstered his case. Despite the lack of counter-evidence from the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Migration Department, the court upheld their decision.
This controversial decision was made by Judge Nana Chichileishvili of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals. It's a blow to Katamadze, who's currently detained at the Ministry of Internal Affairs' temporary facility for migrants and faces deportation from Georgia.
Fun fact: Before his legal troubles kicked in, Katamadze went on a 48-day hunger strike as a form of protest. He also resumed the hunger strike in April 2025, showing solidarity with striking miners in Chiatura.
He was first detained during a demonstration in January 2025, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs initiated deportation proceedings. His legal defense is being handled by the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association. Katamadze has also alleged that he was physically assaulted by Batumi police chief Irakli Dgebuadze during his arrest.
This situation is certainly complex, and it's worth keeping an eye on to see how it unfolds. Until next time, stay informed!
- The court's decision to deport Katamadze, a Turkish-Georgian activist known for waveing the Georgian national flag, has been confirmed and is currently underway, despite his fears of unlawful imprisonment if he returns to Turkey.
- Despite Mariam Gabroshvili's representation of Katamadze in court, the Georgian court denied his plea for refugee or humanitarian status, making him the bearer of a potential deportation order.
- This controversial decision, made by Judge Nana Chichileishvili of the Tbilisi Court of Appeals, comes after Katamadze had previously been rejected for Georgian citizenship and residency, making his story a subject of general-news and crime-and-justice headlines.
- In the face of deportation, Katamadze's past work providing legal and translation services to members of Fethullah Gülen's group could potentially be used as evidence in his case, if only the court had considered questioning witnesses who could have bolstered his case.
