Ex-Russian official detained in Georgia at Moscow’s request despite cancelled Interpol notice

Russian official detained in Georgia

Russian politician Mikhail Timofeev has been detained in Georgia at Russia’s request. A court ordered him held in pre-trial detention for three months, even though Interpol cancelled the arrest notice issued against him in 2025.

According to the TV Rain channel, the decision means Timofeev, a critic of the Kremlin, now faces the risk of extradition to Russia.

Sixty-year-old Mikhail Timofeev is an aide and political ally of Sergei Furgal, the former governor of Russia’s Khabarovsk region who received a 22-year prison sentence. His conviction sparked mass protests in Khabarovsk in 2020–2021.

In 2023, Russian authorities ordered Timofeev’s arrest in absentia as part of an investigation into the 2004 killing of businessman Yevgeny Zorya. Pro-Kremlin media in Russia have described him as a “criminal kingpin”.

Timofeev arrived in Georgia in March 2024 and sought asylum, citing political persecution in Russia. Georgia later rejected his asylum request.

The Georgian authorities have not charged him with any offence. They have detained him solely as part of preparations for a possible extradition.

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TV Rain reports that the Georgian authorities detained Timofeev on 23 January following a request from Georgia’s prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors based their request on a letter from Interpol’s Moscow bureau. However, Interpol’s General Assembly annulled the “Red Notice” issued for Timofeev’s arrest back in September 2025.

For that reason, Timofeev’s lawyers say the detention constitutes a serious legal violation.

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According to his lawyers, Timofeev’s health condition is serious and requires constant medical supervision and proper care. Without such assistance, they warn, his life faces a real risk.

The case once again raises questions about how Georgia protects the rights of people fleeing political persecution, and about whether Georgia’s relations with Russia align with the country’s international human rights obligations.

Russian official detained in Georgia