Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has labeled reports regarding the expulsion of Belarusian activist Lev Mikheyev from the country as “distorted.” Earlier, media outlets reported that the Belarusian citizen, detained on the morning of September 25, had been taken to the border with Armenia.
The Interior Ministry released an official statement in which it commented, among other things, on Mikheyev’s claims that he was “forced to sign many papers” in Georgian without understanding their meaning.
“At the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, communication with a foreign citizen who does not speak Georgian is conducted with the assistance of an interpreter. This includes providing translation and explanations of the relevant information in an understandable language while the individual is reviewing and signing documents.
Therefore, the circulated reports claiming that Lev Mikheyev was forced to sign incomprehensible documents written in Georgian without an explanation of their contents do not correspond to reality. Prior to signing the documents, he was provided with the relevant information and their contents were explained through an interpreter.
We also clarify that foreign nationals are escorted to the designated border checkpoint in specialized escort vehicles. Lev Mikheyev specifically was transported in a 2025 IVECO vehicle.
To fully inform the public, we also report that Lev Mikheyev applied to the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for international protection in 2021. He linked his application to political activism in the Republic of Belarus.”
The Interior Ministry also stated that the Migration Department, in compliance with the standards established by Georgia’s Law “On International Protection,” examined Mikheyev’s case and denied him international protection on September 27, 2024, “as, according to the agency’s decision, there were no legal grounds for granting the status provided by law.”
The ministry noted that the activist appealed this decision to the Tbilisi City Court and the Court of Appeals. However, courts of both instances upheld the Migration Department’s decision. “Accordingly, as of June 29, 2026, Lev Mikheyev was no longer considered an asylum seeker in Georgia,” the Interior Ministry stated.