Zurab Japaridze, leader of the opposition Girchi – More Freedom party, said he has been detained at the border in Turkey on his way to a summit in Brussels and will be sent back to Georgia, citing a ban on entering Turkey apparently based on information from Georgian authorities.
The news was initially reported by ALDE Party – Liberals and Democrats for Europe, a union of liberal parties that lists Girchi – More Freedom among its members. According to ALDE’s October 14 statement, Japaridze has been detained while transiting en route to Brussels to participate in the leaders’ summit of Renew Europe, a liberal political group based in the European Parliament. ALDE said that Japaridze is held in a cell with his passport and luggage confiscated.
“We regret that he will not be able to participate and lament that such pressures continue to be placed on the work and movements of opposition parties who seek a pro-European and democratic future for their country,” ALDE said.
Later, Japaridze also wrote on Facebook that he was arrested at the border in Turkey, where he was planning to catch a connecting flight, and was told that he had been barred from entry to Turkey since November 2025 as “they have received some information” about him from Georgian official structures.
“I will be sent back to Tbilisi tomorrow morning,” the politician said. “Unfortunately, I lost the possibility for important meetings. Nothing else to worry about.”
Japaridze is among eight political figures charged with sabotage-related offences. He was released on bail in December shortly after serving his months-long sentence in a separate criminal case over boycotting Georgian Dream’s parliamentary commission, and has travelled in the past months to Western countries to participate in various events.
Japaridze has publicly stated that he has no intention of leaving Georgia amid the looming verdict in the criminal case, which may send him and other opposition politicians to prison for years.
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