Nino Kakulia, the wife of detained activist Temur Katamadze, says her husband has been transferred to Turkey under deceptive circumstances. Speaking to Interpressnews, Kakulia claimed that the transfer did not follow standard procedures and was carried out in a misleading manner.
“I was informed about Temur’s transfer by a friend who received a call from the police station in Armaghani,” she said. “The transfer did not take place through Sarpi, as one might expect, but rather through southern Georgia, near the Armenian border.”
She added that Katamadze had recently expressed concerns about psychological pressure from staff at the migration center. “Last Friday, he even began a symbolic hunger strike. We believe he may have suffered an emotional breakdown and was coerced into agreeing to leave — although we’re still trying to clarify the circumstances. What’s clear is that he was transferred last night.”
Kakulia noted that the deadline for voluntary departure from Georgia expired the same day, but Katamadze was unable to meet it due to lacking valid documentation. “Turkey had already suspended the validity of his passport back in 2020, but we only discovered this recently when we requested his documents. They also refused to issue him a one-time travel document.”
She confirmed that Katamadze is now being held in Turkey, where she fears the situation may be more dangerous for him. “There’s no specific charge against him at this point, but the repressive machinery there is much more aggressive. Temur believes this is directly connected to his activism. While Turkey publicly supports diaspora communities, it seems they are threatened by active leaders and attempt to silence them.”
“Temur met all the legal requirements for residency in Georgia. There are numerous legal violations in his case. The bottom line is that a person was deceitfully removed from the country,” Kakulia concluded.
Flag bearer from Batumi, activist Temur Katamadze [Gaffar Yılmaz], has been earlier denied refugee or humanitarian status by the Georgian court.
Temur Katamadze has been definitively denied refugee or humanitarian status by the court — a decision that would have provided the legal basis for him to remain in Georgia.
Katamadze, a Turkish citizen and descendant of Georgian muhajirs, had previously been denied both Georgian citizenship and residency. Known as the flag bearer at protests in Batumi, he later applied for refugee or humanitarian status in Georgia. Katamadze said he provided legal and translation services to members of Fethullah Gülen’s group in Turkey and feared unlawful imprisonment if returned there.
Related story: Activist Temur Katamadze to be deported – Court rejects his request for refugee status
