Timofeev's defense called the denial of asylum and the plans for deportation from Georgia unlawful.

Georgian authorities have ignored the position of authoritative international organizations regarding the case of Russian politician Mikhail Timofeev, refusing to consider his persecution politically motivated. Timofeev was arrested in Georgia on the basis of a revoked Interpol request.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," 60-year-old Russian citizen Mikhail Timofeev, who is implicated in the case of former Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal and arrested in absentia, has been detained in Georgia. Georgian authorities have refused to grant him political asylum. Since his arrest, Timofeev has been held in Gldani prison. According to human rights activists, he lacks access to necessary food and medication for his health condition, as well as contact with his family.

Mikhail Timofeev's defense in Georgia has filed an appeal against the decision to arrest him, but a hearing date has not yet been set, one of the politician's lawyers told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on condition of anonymity. He has a power of attorney from Timofeev to represent his interests at the ECHR, but he is also represented by two other lawyers in Georgia.

According to the lawyer, Mikhail Timofeev arrived in Georgia on March 28, 2024, and immediately filed an asylum application with the police. He told Georgian authorities that he and his friends were being persecuted in Russia for political reasons—"as opponents of the current Russian government."

"The political nature of the persecution was confirmed by several NGOs, including Memorial*, and the independent press." The other defendants in the case were sentenced to staggering prison terms (20-30 years) in a case in which the statute of limitations had expired. On December 27, 2024, the Migration Department denied Mikhail asylum, a decision that was challenged in court. A decision on this administrative claim has not yet been made. A hearing at the first instance court (Tbilisi City Court) is scheduled for February 24, 2026," he reported.

According to the source, the Migration Department refused to acknowledge the political nature of Timofeev's criminal prosecution, believing the charges to be of a simple criminal nature. Officials ignored media reports, the findings of human rights NGOs, and evidence of Timofeev's previous persecution by Russian authorities. There is no legal basis for suspending the asylum appeal process, and Timofeev's defense of his interests in court is significantly hampered, "since he will not be brought to court for a hearing on his appeal against the denial of asylum." "Even if he is delivered, he will be deprived of the opportunity to work with documents, a computer, and papers to prepare his case in Gldani Prison, where he will be held," the lawyer noted.

The Georgian Prosecutor's Office, which petitioned the court for the politician's temporary detention, cited a letter from the Moscow Bureau of Interpol regarding Timofeev's detention (dated April 24, 2024) and the so-called Interpol Red Notice (dated April 29, 2024). The three-month detention is motivated by the Georgian Law "On International Cooperation in Criminal Matters" and is intended to provide the Russian side with the opportunity to send Georgia a written, reasoned request for extradition in accordance with the 1957 Convention on Extradition. A Georgian court may later extend the three-month detention period granted to Russia for Timofeev, his representative explained.

"The Georgian side is definitely not conducting any investigative or judicial proceedings against Timofeev other than the asylum process. His detention serves only one purpose: to prepare for his possible extradition on the same criminal case in which Russian authorities are pursuing Furgal and their other comrades. Timofeev is not accused of anything in Georgia," the lawyer said.

Since the wanted list request came from Russia, Timofeev faces deportation to that country, even though Russian law enforcement agencies in Tbilisi have not sent an extradition request from Georgia. "There is only a letter that does not meet the legal requirements for the content of such requests, as well as an Interpol red notice, which was annulled by a letter from the Interpol General Assembly and a certificate dated September 12, 2025—which the Georgian authorities are aware of," he emphasized.

The defense attorney explained that Interpol's red notice for Timofeev was published on April 29, 2024. Starting on August 12 of that year, when Timofeev's lawyers learned of it, they entered into correspondence with Interpol "with the aim of proving its baselessness and non-compliance with Interpol's Rules." A month later, the Interpol File Processing Commission and Secretariat officially suspended the request. A year later, the red notice was annulled by a letter from the Interpol General Assembly and a certificate dated September 12, 2025, "of which the Georgian authorities are aware." "Thus, the Georgian court and prosecutor's office acted based on an Interpol request that is no longer in effect," the source noted.

According to the lawyer, Timofeev is viewed by the Russian authorities not just as an ordinary supporter, but as a key organizer and "right-hand man" of Sergei Furgal. "As his assistant, Timofeev secured electoral victories over United Russia candidates in 2018-2019. His prosecution is part of a strategy to completely eliminate Furgal's team. The investigation is using 'collective responsibility,' implicating all of the governor's significant associates in cases dating back 20 years, to disguise the political crackdown as a fight against crime," the politician's representative stated.

The defense attorney noted that the active phase of the prosecution of Timofeev began after Furgal's arrest in July 2020. Mikhail Timofeev fled the country that same year, and on December 27, 2023, Moscow's Basmanny Court issued an official order for his arrest. "It was on the basis of this decision that an international search was initiated in April 2024," the lawyer stated, noting that the human rights organization Memorial, recognized in European and international arenas, is verifying facts of political persecution in Russia. He also reported that Mikhail Timofeev has a number of significant health problems. "The list of diagnoses is three pages long. My client is not receiving any assistance, doctors are not coming, and they are not giving him medication. Timofeev is officially classified as a third-degree disabled person. "Complaints have been filed with the penitentiary system and the ombudsman, as well as with the UNHCR," he concluded.

* are listed as foreign agents.

** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.