Lawyers in Georgia have asked the ECHR to halt the deportation of Nikolai Belikov.

Volgograd opposition figure Nikolai Belikov, who served a prison sentence in Georgia for participating in protests, remains free after being released from pretrial detention. A complaint regarding Belikov's case has been filed with the European Court of Human Rights, and his lawyers have requested a stay of the deportation process.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on October 23, a Tbilisi court sentenced Russian citizen Nikolai Belikov, who was detained during protests on Rustaveli Avenue, to 14 days of administrative arrest. After serving his sentence, Belikov is to be deported to his country of citizenship and will also be banned from re-entering Georgia for two years. In his homeland, the opposition figure from Volgograd faces a real risk of persecution and imprisonment, his acquaintances are sure. On the evening of November 5, Belikov was released.

Volgograd native Nikolai Belikov, released from a prison in Poti, Georgia, on the evening of November 5, remains at large, Salome Khvadagiani, a member of a support group for political prisoners in Georgia, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The support group met Belikov at the prison entrance. Nikolai emerged from the facility to the cheers and whistles of those greeting him. He was lightly dressed and carrying bags of his belongings. He smiled and waved greetingly, greeting those who greeted him in Georgian and wiping away tears of joy with his palm.

"He's still in Poti. His lawyer said he'll either send him with the other released youths toward Tbilisi or keep him at home for now. His deportation is still on the table, and his lawyers are trying to have it overturned in court," she said.

A "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has not yet been able to contact Belikov or his lawyer. The activist speculated that Belikov's phone battery is dead and he has no way to recharge it, which is why he's not available.

"Belikov is feeling well; his lawyer has visited him several times. He has no complaints. The expulsion decision has been appealed in Strasbourg," said Salome Khvadagiani.

According to the activist, Nikolai Belikov "faces expulsion, not deportation." This means he could be sent not to Russia, but to another country where he can seek asylum. (Georgian media initially reported that the court ordered Belikov's expulsion to his country of citizenship - Caucasian Knot note). For now, the defense and support group are hoping that the ECHR will suspend the execution of the ruling.

"If Strasbourg issues a stay, it will be a temporary mandatory measure until the main case is heard. That is, until the ECHR issues a final decision, the deportation will be suspended. The defense's key argument is that Nikolai actively participated in protests against Putin and openly criticized Russia's actions in Ukraine," Salome explained.

The deportation procedure itself typically begins with the transfer of the foreign citizen to an immigration detention center, where they are expected to choose from several countries to which they will be sent. The activist noted that this process usually "takes some time; it doesn't happen quickly." In Belikov's case, "it's possible that Russia is the only option for deportation, since the procedure is carried out under a different article of the law, rather than through the standard process of the Migration Department."

"This deportation clause, which concerns participation in protests and street blockades, is very new and applies only to foreigners, so there is no practice yet. Everything stated above applies to more general, non-political cases that occurred before these changes. Some fear that in practice, everything could happen quickly, that he could be taken straight to the airport immediately after his sentence ends and, since he doesn't have a passport, sent to Russia on a travel document. It's difficult to say anything with certainty at this point. I sincerely hope that it won't come to that and that Strasbourg will suspend the execution of the decision," concluded Salome Khvadagiani.

She added that Nikolai most likely had no problems with food while in prison: the prison menu, according to the activist, is acceptable, and besides, "Political prisoners are being brought a lot of food from outside," and even complete strangers do so as a sign of solidarity.

"When my friend was arrested and transferred to Zestaponi, a small town in western Georgia, we left Tbilisi early in the morning with clothes, cigarettes, and food. But when we arrived, it turned out he'd already been given khachapuri twice, and his cell was overflowing with food. All this was from strangers. He laughed and said, 'There's no more room, that's enough.' This is usually the case with political prisoners; people express enormous support and solidarity. In Poti, the last time I checked, there were 12 political prisoners. I asked the lawyer if any of them needed anything, and he replied that everyone had everything, even more than enough," Salome said about the conditions of political prisoners in Poti prison. Khvadagiani.

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Over the course of the protests, more than a thousand people were subjected to administrative prosecution. Caucasian Knot has compiled materials about the parliamentary elections and subsequent protests on the page "Elections in Georgia-2024".