The topics of Kulanin's deportation and Buava's death were at the center of attention for the protesters in Tbilisi.
Supporters of Georgia's Eurointegration held a protest in Tbilisi for the 644th consecutive day, demanding the country's return to a Euro-Atlantic course. Among the slogans were demands to allow Russian Denis Kulanin to leave for a third country and statements about the violent nature of the death of Abkhazian native Daur Buava.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 1, on the 643rd day of continuous protests, participants demanded to provide Russian Denis Kulanin the opportunity to voluntarily leave the country and go to a safe state.
Citizens demanding the release of political prisoners, the abolition of repressive mechanisms, and the holding of elections in a free and fair environment gathered for the 644th day in front of the Parliament building and the Tbilisi City Council, reports Publika.
Participants of the action held flags of Georgia, the European Union, Ukraine, and the USA. Some participants held placards: "You won't hug an Abkhaz anymore. Daur was killed", "Down with the regime of murderers", "They couldn't intimidate the youth with prison, they started killing", "Silence in the face of injustice is complicity", "Transfer Denis Kulanin to the airport", "2027 year without Kotsov", "Bidzina is the Russian period", according to a publication by photographer MO SE on Facebook*.
Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava moved to Georgia in 2021. In June 2022, the State Security Service of Abkhazia initiated a criminal case against him on suspicion of treason. Buava published videos on TikTok promoting the joining of Abkhazia to Georgia as an autonomous republic with the legal status enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia. On August 28, Buava's body was found in an apartment in Tbilisi. An investigation is underway under the article "Driving to suicide". The blogger received numerous threats due to his views, and it is necessary to properly exclude the causes and circumstances of possible violence, said Tamta Mikheladze, head of the "Center for Social Justice" regarding the death of Daur Buava.
Today, materials of the case were provided to the defense of Denis Kulanin, and they reviewed the petition from the Migration Department of Georgia dated September 1, 2026, regarding the expulsion of Denis Kulanin from Georgia, wrote lawyer Tsiala Ratiani on her Facebook* page today.
It has been confirmed that the Migration Department is asking the court to expel Denis Kulanin to his country of origin - the Russian Federation. At the same time, the agency requests to obligate Kulanin to leave Georgia voluntarily within seven days from the moment of the court's decision, as well as to impose a five-year entry ban for him into Georgia.
The seven-day period for voluntary departure should begin after the court's decision, which, according to the procedure, will be made within one month. The lawyer expressed hope that the court would provide Denis Kulanin with seven days for voluntary departure from Georgia. Before reviewing the petition from the Migration Department, the lawyer had already presented the court with the defense's position, requesting to establish such a period so that the Russian could voluntarily leave Georgia and go to a safe country.
"However, the final decision will still be made by the court, without conducting an oral hearing," the lawyer clarified.
The Georgian authorities must ensure that Denis Kulanin is not deported to Russia, stated Denis Krivosheev, deputy director ("Caucasian Knot" can provide the name of the organization upon request) for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. He noted that people with anti-war positions face severe repression, and that Denis Kulanin may be at real risk of arbitrary arrest and detention, torture, or other forms of cruel treatment.
"Denis Kulanin publicly spoke out against Russia's war against Ukraine and expressed support for Alexei Navalny - both of these actions are criminal offenses in Russia and are punishable by imprisonment. The Georgian authorities must ensure that he is not deported to Russia, where under the current conditions of severe repression against anti-war dissent, he may face a real risk of arbitrary persecution and imprisonment, torture, or other forms of cruel treatment," Krivosheev stated.
According to the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA), the deportation of Denis Kulanin to the Russian Federation would mean a violation by Georgia of the European Convention on Human Rights. The Association stated that his return to Russia poses a real threat to him, including in terms of politically motivated persecution and arrest.
"GYLA believes that Denis Kulanin should not be deported to the Russian Federation and that he should be given the opportunity to safely leave the territory of Georgia and go to a third (safe) country," the statement from the young lawyers says.
Materials on the protests against the bill "On Transparency of Foreign Influence" are published by the "Caucasian Knot" on the thematic page "Georgia: foreign agents and protests".
Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces have conducted harsh dispersals of protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. During the protests, thousands of people have faced administrative prosecution. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a reference "Main points on the persecution of protest participants in Georgia".