Day: September 8, 2025
Georgian citizen faces extradition to Russia
Georgian citizen Giorgi Kinoyan, who fought in Ukraine during the first stage of Russia’s full-scale invasion, has been detained in Armenia and faces possible extradition to Russia.
On 25 October 2024, Kinoyan was convicted in absentia by Russian authorities in occupied Donetsk and sentenced to seven years in prison.
He is currently being held for 40 days, during which time Russia must present the evidence and documents required for his extradition.
Kinoyan entered Armenia via Georgia, with Georgian border guards allowing him through without informing him that he was wanted. According to his family, had he known, he would not have left Georgia.
“I don’t know what will happen next. Armenian lawyers give us no hope and say the risk of extradition is very high. When crossing the border, he was not told he would be detained or face any problems — otherwise he would not have made that decision.
I went to the Georgian embassy in Armenia, but at this stage there is no response. They told me they have the information and the relevant agencies are working on it, but no one has contacted me or any other family members. Today we plan to reach out to the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and every institution that might be able to help us,” Kinoyan’s brother told TV Pirveli.
Kinoyan’s friends and relatives say his extradition to Russia would put him in great danger. The family has also appealed to Georgia’s ombudsman, but so far see no hope of a positive outcome. For now, they believe the only option is to escalate the case to the very top and “get through” to the Georgian government.
According to Georgia’s foreign ministry, the country’s border guards were not at fault, as Russia had not put out an Interpol notice for Giorgi Kinoyan. Instead, the search was issued through the CIS’s DESETE system, which Georgian border guards could not access since Georgia is no longer a member of the CIS.
As for Georgia’s ambassador to Armenia, TV Pirveli’s attempts to reach him were unsuccessful.
Commentary
In this context, Georgian political party representatives recall past cases of leaks of information about Georgian servicemen that ended up in the hands of Russian intelligence.
Tina Bokuchava, leader of the opposition United National Movement, went so far as to claim that the ruling Georgian Dream party had “handed over a Georgian citizen to Russia and done nothing to save him.”
“This gang of traitors and criminals are open allies of Putin. Instead of defending Georgia’s national dignity and its citizens — including those fighting our common enemy, Putin — they once again take the side of the occupier and his interests. So it is entirely possible that this gang of traitor-criminals handed a Georgian citizen over to Russia,” Bokuchava said.
News in Georgia
Georgian citizen Giorgi Kinoiani, who fought in the Russia-Ukraine war on the Ukrainian side and was sentenced to seven years in prison in absentia by a Russian court, is in custody in Armenia and faces extradition to Russia, according to media reports, as the Foreign Ministry said the Georgian Embassy learned of it from his relatives but has not yet been notified by Armenian officials on the matter.
Kinoiani, 29, was reportedly detained on September 3 while crossing the Georgia-Armenia border, after Armenian border officers learned he was wanted by Russia. He was taken to a police station and then to a detention facility. On September 5, a court placed him in extradition detention for 40 days. According to RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, the Armenian government has already informed Russia about his detention, while Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said the Georgian Embassy in Armenia has not yet been notified by authorities.
“On this matter, the Georgian Embassy has been notified by the family members of the detainee,” the Foreign Ministry told Civil.ge. “But the Embassy has not yet been notified by official Armenian agencies.” The ministry added that the Georgian consulate continues to work “within its competence.”
Kinoiani’s family fears he could face inhumane treatment and risk to his life if extradited to Russia. “In case of extradition, everybody knows what could happen. At best, there is a risk of inhumane treatment. I fear worse,” Kinoiani’s brother told RFE/RL’s Georgian Service. “Georgia must not allow it.”
Kinoiani was sentenced in absentia in October 2024 by a Russian court to seven years in prison for fighting on Ukraine’s side “as a mercenary.” He voluntarily joined the Georgian National Legion in 2022 after the Russian invasion. Russia designates the Legion a terrorist organization and considers its soldiers mercenaries, though the unit is officially recognized as part of the Ukrainian military.
Georgia’s civil society organizations warn that extradition could put Kinoiani’s life at grave risk.
“These people, if captured or imprisoned, become victims of severe torture and inhumane treatment,” Tamta Mikeladze of the Social Justice Center said, noting that the Georgian government could intervene through the European Court of Human Rights to block the extradition, but expressed doubt about the ruling Georgian Dream party’s willingness to act “due to its sharp anti-Ukrainian rhetoric.”
Krzysztof Brejza, a Polish member of the European Parliament, also warned that “if extradited, his life will be in grave danger – persecution or death are certain outcomes in Russian hands.” MEP called for the issue to be raised “at the highest EU level,” adding, “Giorgi’s life depends on it.”
Also Read:
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Georgia dropped by 12% to 580.1 million in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year, the National Statistics Office (Geostat) said on September 8. The office attributed the decline to reductions in reinvestment and debt instruments.
Preliminary data show equity investment totaled USD 123.6 million, accounting for 21.3% of total FDI. Reinvestment amounted to USD 466.6 million, representing 80.4% of the total.
The United Kingdom was the largest investor with USD 242.7 million (41.8%), followed by Turkey with USD 54 million (9.3%) and the Czech Republic with USD 38.3 million (6.6%). The three countries combined accounted for 57.7% of total investment.
Financial and insurance activities drew the largest investment at USD 327.2 million (56.4%), followed by real estate with USD 66.4 million (11.4%) and energy at USD 54.4 million (9.4%). Those three sectors made up 77.2% of total FDI.
Also Read:
- 08/09/2025 – GD Cabinet Meets After Summer Break as Kobakhidze Touts Progress on Economy, Crime
- 09/06/2025 – Geostat: Georgia’s FDI Falls 7.7% in Q1 2025
- 09/12/2024 – Geostat: FDI USD 197.7 Million in Q3’24, Down by 55.2%
- 09/09/2024 – Geostat: FDI USD 574.3 Million in Q2’24
- 15/08/2024 – 2023 FDI in Georgia at USD 1.902 Bln
- 10/06/2024 – Geostat: FDI USD 201.4 Million in Q1’24
