A 29-year-old Georgian citizen wanted by Moscow for fighting on the side of Ukraine has been taken into custody in Armenia and faces extradition to Russia, according to media reports.
Giorgi Kinoiani volunteered to fight against Russia in the Georgian Legion after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in Feb. 2022.
In Oct. 2024, he was sentenced to seven years in prison in absentia by a court in Russian-occupied Donetsk for “mercenary activities,” according to Georgian outlet Civil.ge.
According to RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, Kinoiani was detained at the Armenian border on Sept. 3 and was placed under a 40-day arrest by an Armenian court.
Kinoiani’s brother, Vako Kinoiani, told the outlet that Armenian border guards arrested his sibling on the spot because of a notification on their computer that Russian authorities were demanding his arrest.
During the 40-day window, Armenia’s Justice Ministry is reportedly set to decide whether or not he will be deported to Russia.
A spokesperson for the Armenian Interior Ministry confirmed the arrest to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, and said that local authorities have notified Russia of Kinoiani’s detention.
“On September 3, Giorgi Kinoiani, who is under international investigation by the Russian Federation on charges of mercenary activity, was found at the Gogavan border checkpoint [between Georgia and Armenia],” the spokesperson said.
“The Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Justice, as well as the initiator of the search were informed of the discovery of the wanted person,” he finished.
By contrast, on Monday, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry told Georgian outlet Civil.ge that its embassy in Armenia had not been notified of Kinoiani’s arrest by Armenia.
Vako Kinoiani fears that his brother’s life will be at risk if he is extradited to Russia. Speaking to RFE/RL’s Georgian Service, he said: “In case of extradition, everybody knows what could happen. At the best there is a risk of inhumane treatment. I fear worse.”
Prisoners of war held by Russia who fought for Ukraine have consistently reported torture, sexual violence, beatings and psychological abuse, according to international human rights groups.
Armenian authorities have previously refused to hand over Russian nationals accused of deserting the Russian army or evading the draft, most recently 25-year-old deserter Semyon Subbotin, according to independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta.
The Georgian Legion, a military unit formed of mostly ethnic Georgian volunteers and commanded by Mamuka Mamulashvili, was designated a terrorist organization by Russia in June 2024.
In July 2024, Mamulashvili said that Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) had placed around 300 fighters from the Georgian National Legion fighting for Kyiv against Moscow on its wanted list.