A Russian citizen pardoned by the Georgian president is restricted in his choice of country of departure

Denis Kulanin, a Russian citizen pardoned by the Georgian president, will not be able to leave the country on September 1, despite having already purchased a ticket to a third country. This was reported by the public and volunteer platform APUS, citing his lawyer, Tsiala Ratiani.

According to his lawyer, this decision was conveyed to her by the case manager at the migration prison where Kulanin was transferred after his pardon. The Migration Service reportedly intends to file a lawsuit for his deportation. Until a court ruling is issued, the Russian citizen will not be allowed to leave Georgia on his own.

Kulanin was detained after being detained on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi during pro-European protests on March 28, 2025. He was accused of damaging a Ministry of Internal Affairs vehicle and sentenced to two years in prison.

Several days ago, on the occasion of the Mariamoba holiday, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili signed a decree pardoning 226 people, including nine political prisoners who participated in protests that took place in Georgia from the spring of 2024 to the fall of 2025, including Kulanin. However, he has not been released.

Kulanin previously faced deportation to Russia. His lawyer insisted that returning to Russia could be dangerous for him. While in prison, Kulanin handed over a letter wishing peace and glory to Ukraine. The Russian citizen had the opportunity to choose his own country of destination after leaving Georgia. He exercised this right and purchased a ticket to a third country, but now the migration service is effectively preventing him from doing so.

Lawyers who regularly represent foreigners in deportation cases note that previously, Georgian authorities did not require those who agreed to leave the country voluntarily to wait for a court decision.

APUS considers the new requirements particularly alarming, as they could effectively block the foreign citizen's exit. Human rights activists also point out that at the court hearing on August 30, neither the judge nor the representative of the Migration Department objected to Kulanin leaving Georgia. Now, the question of possible deportation to Russia has once again become relevant. APUS reports that it is exploring opportunities to engage international organizations to defend the Russian citizen.

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