"You know, Lukashenka is not the president." They smiled and nodded." Lev Mikheev, deported from Georgia, shared how he was treated in Armenia

— When were you detained for the second time?

— Closer to 11 PM (10 PM Minsk time. — "Pozirk"). We spent quite a long time there inventorying things, papers. And I had two bags that I took. But I have no complaints, the attitude was very polite, correct, and attentive. And not without humor.

We finished around 3 AM, and I went to sleep in the cell. At approximately 2:20 PM, I was released. I signed the papers, my passport was returned to me, all my belongings. They gave me a release paper, in Armenian.

— Did they explain why they were releasing you?

— They have no complaints against me. I can move freely within Armenia. The only thing is I can't leave; a different procedure is needed for departure.

— So, it seems the story isn't over yet.

— Not completely, no. Well, this is probably a standard procedure. There was still a request [from Minsk] for my extradition. This police department doesn't decide that, it's not within their authority. I was simply released without any complaints, and a higher authority decides on leaving the country.

— How do you plan to act?

— Now I'll recover from all this. I've rented a hotel room. I just need to look around, see how suitable Armenia is: whether to apply for asylum here, or still move to Europe. For now, it's hard for me to give a specific answer.

The police saw that this was political persecution. They showed me the articles [of the Criminal Code] under which I am being persecuted. I saw it was for "insulting Lukashenka." I said: "You know, Lukashenka is not the president." They smiled and nodded. That is, they also understand this situation.

When they were drawing up the documents, the policeman especially emphasized that I had no criminal record. I showed them a certificate from Belarus stating no convictions. The executioners managed to issue it to me 3 days before the search and 10 days before my flight to Georgia.

— What did they ask you about?

— In general terms: "What exactly did you do there?" I said: "I write, I speak." About the fact that this regime exists, that war is bad. That war is not peace. That is, they have difficulty understanding why I am being persecuted. I am very glad that I was released so quickly. I already thought I would have to stay there today and tomorrow.

— Where are you now?

— 200 km from Yerevan. At the checkpoint, they immediately put me in a bus and brought me to the department. Tomorrow I'll take a minibus to Yerevan; it runs once a day.

Returning to yesterday… It was a specific moment of pressure, a choice without a choice. I was scared by the option where they would choose the country of destination. For example, Kazakhstan or Azerbaijan. So I agreed to Armenia.

The most unpleasant thing here is this lawlessness and humiliation of a person who has committed nothing illegal. All my Georgian friends are literally crying, everyone is in shock. How can this be? I lived there for five years, my connections are very deep, strong, personal.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia reacted to the wide resonance caused by the expulsion of Lev Mikheev from the country and provided its explanation of the situation, writes "Pozirk." The department called the published information regarding Mikheev's case "distorted and misinterpreted."

"Firstly, we would like to clarify that in the Migration Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, communication with a foreign citizen who does not speak Georgian is carried out with the participation of an interpreter. Specifically, during the process of familiarizing the person with documents and their signing, the relevant information is translated and explained in a language understandable to them. Accordingly, the circulated information that Lev Mikheev was forced to sign documents written in Georgian, which he did not understand, without any information being provided to him about their content, does not correspond to reality," the department's statement says (earlier, in a comment to "Pozirk," Mikheev stated that there was an interpreter, but the meaning of the Georgian papers presented for signing remained unclear to him).

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, before signing the documents, Mikheev "was provided with relevant information through an interpreter, and their content was explained to him."

"We would also like to clarify that the transportation of foreign citizens to the relevant border crossing point is carried out by specially allocated escort vehicles. Lev Mikheev was transported directly in an 'Iveco' brand car, manufactured in 2025," the release notes (the Belarusian called the vehicle a police paddy wagon).

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that Mikheev applied to the Migration Department with a request for international protection in 2021, linking it to "political activities in the Republic of Belarus."

The Migration Department "reviewed the case in accordance with the standards established by the Georgian law on international protection, and on September 27, 2024, refused Lev Mikheev international protection, since, according to the department's decision, there were no legal grounds for granting the status provided by law."

Mikheev "appealed this decision in the Tbilisi City and Appeals Courts." "Both courts upheld the decision of the Migration Department. Accordingly, as of June 29, 2026, Lev Mikheev was no longer considered an asylum seeker in Georgia," the Ministry of Internal Affairs argued regarding Mikheev's status as an illegal immigrant.

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