Georgia denies asylum to Belarusian activist Kiślak

July 11, Pozirk. The Tbilisi Court of Appeals has rejected an appeal by exiled Belarusian rights defender Raman Kiślak, upholding the decision by the Georgian migration authority to deny him political asylum, the activist has told Pozirk.

The decision is final and cannot be appealed in Georgian institutions, except for filing a cassation appeal with the Supreme Court, he noted.

The activist has 30 days to leave Georgia after today’s ruling. His only option is Belarus, as his passport has expired, yet there he will most certainly face politically-motivated persecution. Belarusian law enforcement officers accuse him of terrorism, high treason and conspiracy to seize power in connection with his human rights activities. These criminal charges carry the death penalty as the maximum sentence.

Kiślak said he will appeal to a United Nations institution.

Georgia has not satisfied a single asylum request from Belarusians in 2019–2024, according to Pozirk’s analysis of its interior ministry’s statistics.

The country hosts around 12,000 Belarusians, including civil society activists and journalists who have fled reprisals.

Also read: Georgia: Belarusian activists show solidarity with prisoners in their homeland