The pardoned Russian citizen faces deportation from Georgia.
The President of Georgia, Mikhail Kavelashvili, pardoned Russian citizen Denis Kulanin, who was sentenced to two years for damaging a police car during a protest in Tbilisi. After his release, Kulanin was placed in a deportation center.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", 30-year-old Russian citizen Denis Kulanin was detained on March 28, 2025, on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi and taken into custody on charges of damaging a police car during a protest. In court, he apologized for his actions and pleaded guilty. In early June, the court sentenced him to two years in prison. Denis Kulanin's name has been included in the list of political prisoners in Georgia. At the end of February 2026, he declared a hunger strike due to being placed in a punishment cell.
The President of Georgia, Mikhail Kavelashvili, pardoned 226 convicts on August 27 in honor of the Feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Mariamoba. Six of those pardoned were serving non-custodial sentences, while 217 were in prisons. Criminal records were cleared for three others. On the same day, it became known that Fridon Bubuteishvili, detained during a protest against the foreign agents law, was also pardoned. He was sentenced to five years in prison. The prosecution accused him of damaging the gates of parliament and throwing a stone at a firefighter during the protest.
The Russian citizen may be sent to a third country
The President of Georgia, Mikhail Kavelashvili, pardoned Russian citizen Denis Kulanin, a participant in the protests in Tbilisi, as reported by the pro-government TV channel Imedi.
After his release, Kulanin did not contact either his relatives in Russia or the activists who supported him in Georgia. Kulanin's lawyer sought assistance from the Public Defender's Office, Tbilisi Life reports.
Kulanin is to be deported from the country. The immigration police transferred him to the placement center of the Migration Department. They have begun the deportation process, reports Paper Kartuli.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia stated that Kulanin "can choose a third country" for departure, but he must make the decision himself within 48 hours. The ministry also referred to Article 51 of the law on foreigners, which gives him the right to leave Georgia voluntarily and travel to either his country of origin or a third country.
Kulanin's lawyer believes that if he is deported to Russia, his client may face danger. According to the defender, in letters from prison, Kulanin repeatedly criticized Russia's actions in Ukraine and the policies of the Russian authorities.
According to him, after his release, Kulanin planned to find a safe country and leave Georgia on his own. He was supposed to be released according to the sentence only in March 2027, the publication states.
Nine participants in the protests in Georgia are on the list of those pardoned
The names of those pardoned are not officially disclosed, but Georgian media have already established that among them are at least nine people convicted for participating in anti-government protests in 2024-2025.
In addition to Kulanin, five are participants in mass demonstrations that erupted after the authorities' decision to suspend negotiations on Georgia's EU membership: David Khomeriki, Fridon Bubuteishvili, Saba Jikia, Guram Khutashvili, and Daniel Mumladze.
Three others are involved in the case concerning the protest on October 4, 2025, when some protesters dismantled a fence and entered the courtyard of the presidential residence on Atoneli Street: Tornike Mchedlishvili, Simon Makharadze, and Avtandil Topchishvili, the agency reports.
Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Law enforcement has conducted harsh crackdowns on protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detaining protesters. During the protests, thousands of people have faced administrative prosecution. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report on "The Main Points on the Persecution of Protest Participants in Georgia".