“Gaffar Yilmaz (Temur Katamadze) did not take advantage of the opportunity to leave the country voluntarily; his expulsion was carried out by force, in strict accordance with the law,” stated Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Aleksandre Darakhvelidze.

According to Darakhvelidze, eight different courts fully upheld the position of the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding Gaffar Yilmaz, a Turkish citizen of Georgian origin, known as a political activist and flag bearer in Batumi protests.

“We would like to inform the public about the circumstances surrounding Gaffar Yilmaz’s (Temur Katamadze’s) expulsion from Georgia. We emphasize that his deportation was conducted in full compliance with Georgian legislation based on a court decision. Furthermore, his case was reviewed in eight different court instances, all of which fully supported the position of the Migration Department.

Additionally, the defence filed an application with the European Court of Human Rights seeking an interim measure, which was not granted. Since Gaffar Yilmaz did not avail himself of the opportunity to leave voluntarily, his expulsion was executed by force under Georgian law,” Darakhvelidze explained.