Sochi court rules to deport stateless person to Georgia

The Tsentralny District Court of Sochi has ruled to deport Vladimir Dolidze, a person with the passport of a citizen of the USSR, who needs specialized medical care, to Georgia. The consideration of the appeal was held without defence; and the ruling contains factual errors, said Alexander Popkov, Dolidze's advocate.

"First, Dolidze is not a citizen of Georgia, as stated in the ruling. He is stateless. Secondly, Dolidze could not break the rules of entry to the Russian Federation, as he entered not Russia but the USSR as a citizen of the USSR with a passport of the USSR. Then, the USSR collapsed, and a war began. Vladimir Dolidze did not leave Russia any more," Popkov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Besides, after Dolidze was hit by a car in 2008, he cannot live independently, and needs help of his mother and a specialized medical treatment.

Vladimir Dolidze has also appealed for help to the reception office of the network "Migration and Law".

"Dolidze's situation is typical. Stateless persons are treated as foreigners, but foreigners are deported from Russia, while there are problems with stateless persons," said Semyon Simonov, the coordinator of the Sochi reception office of "Migration and Law", adding that such people may be kept for long at special detention facilities.

The Tsentralny District Court of Sochi refused to comment on the ruling on Vladmir Dolidze's case.