TBILISI, DFWatch–Temur Katamadze, a political activist and Turkish citizen, was deported from Georgia to Turkey late Monday night, and is now in detention there, according to his wife, Nino Kakulia. She told Interpressnews that Georgian authorities transferred him not via the main Sarpi crossing but near the Armenian border in the country’s south.
Katamadze, who had resided in Georgia and applied for legal status, reportedly faced psychological pressure from immigration officials and launched a symbolic hunger strike last week. His wife said he lacked valid travel documents. His Turkish passport was canceled in 2020, and Turkish authorities denied him a temporary travel document. However, Georgian authorities expelled him on the final day of his deadline for leaving the country voluntarily.
A citizen of Turkey of Georgian descent who arrived in Georgia 13 years ago, Katamadze first gained public attention during the 2023 anti-government protests in Batumi, where he became a visible figure by appearing at rallies holding a Georgian flag, which earned him the nickname ‘the flag-bearer’.
Katamadze believes his deportation is linked to his political activism. Civil society actors have raised concerns about legal violations in his case and claim there are political motives behind his deportation.
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