Three unnamed Chechens were held at Tbilisi Airport for several days after Georgian border guards denied them entry to the country, according to independent media outlet Caucasian Knot. They had reportedly planned to travel by land to the Russian-Georgian border but were instead held and placed in a room that one of the men described as resembling a prison cell. Independent Russian media outlet Caucasian Knot reported the incident on Friday, citing one of the men, who wished to remain anonymous. OC Media has contacted Georgian authorities for comment.
At the time of the Caucasian Knot, Georgian authorities had not acknowledged Caucasian Knot’s reports or yet given an explanation of why they refused the men.
According to the source, two men arrived from Milan on Tuesday and another from Antalya on Thursday. After being refused entry, they were expected to wait for return flights operated by Italian and Turkish airlines, scheduled for the weekend. Caucasian Knot did not report whether they had managed to leave.
The men were not told why they had been detained, according to the outlet. A notice refusing entry to one of them, a copy of which was obtained by the publication, reportedly simply said it was due to ‘other cases provided for by Georgian legislation’.
The detained man said their phones had been confiscated immediately. One of them managed to keep his device and was therefore able to exchange messages with a journalist. He claimed that food was brought to them with long delays and that other foreign nationals, including citizens of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, were also being held at the airport after being denied entry.
Maria Belkina, founder of the volunteer organisation Volunteers Tbilisi, told Caucasian Knot that the organisation had not received any information about the detention of the Chechens. Lawyer Darya Samodurova, who assists foreigners in Georgia, also said she was unaware of the case.
Residents of Chechnya and other North Caucasian regions have previously reported being denied entry to Georgia.
In September 2022, following Russia’s announcement of mobilisation, Chechen opposition blogger Tumso Abdurakhmanov claimed Georgian border guards were refusing entry to people born in Chechnya, Daghestan, and Ingushetia at the Upper Lars border checkpoint. According to him, some residents of Chechnya, including women and children, were left at the checkpoint for several days. Georgian authorities did not confirm the reports at the time. Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili said border checks were conducted in accordance with established rules and that decisions were made on an individual basis.
Ukrainian citizens have also faced difficulties crossing the Georgian border. In August 2023, six Ukrainians, five of whom had previously served prison sentences in Russian penal colonies, found themselves at the Upper Lars checkpoint. Georgian border guards refused to let them enter the country for 11 days, citing legislation governing the legal status of foreign nationals.
OC MediaElizaveta Chukharova
In June 2025, a similar situation arose at the checkpoint, where nearly 100 Ukrainian citizens deported from Russia were unable to enter Georgia. According to volunteers and journalists, they were held in a basement near the border. The group included former prisoners, and some people required medical assistance. They were allowed to enter Georgia only after human rights advocates intervened.