Russian detained in Georgia after denied asylum

Georgian authorities have refused to grant political asylum to Mikhail Timofeev, and he has been detained. Timofeev was arrested in absentia in Russia for the murder of a businessman in Khabarovsk, which became part of the case against former Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in July 2020, large protests began in Khabarovsk Krai against the arrest of Governor Sergei Furgal, who was accused of orchestrating the murders of businessmen in 2004-2005. Furgal denied the charges. Solidarity protests with Khabarovsk residents also took place in the south of the country, particularly in Volgograd.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in July 2020, large protests began in Khabarovsk Krai against the arrest of Governor Sergei Furgal, who was accused of organizing the murders of businessmen in 2004-2005. Furgal denied the charges. Solidarity protests with Khabarovsk residents also took place in the south of the country, particularly in Volgograd.

Mikhail Timofeev, a 60-year-old Russian citizen implicated in the case against former Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal, has been detained in Georgia.

Timofeev arrived in Georgia in March 2024, requesting asylum due to political persecution. Despite the evidence he provided, including the findings of human rights organizations, Georgian authorities denied him protection, RusNews reported today.

Timofeev was detained at the request of the Georgian Prosecutor's Office, citing a letter from the Moscow Bureau of Interpol dated April 24, 2024, and the so-called Red Circular dated April 29, 2024. However, no formal extradition request was received from the Russian Federation, and the Red Notice was annulled by Interpol even before his arrest on September 12, 2025, Tbilisi Life reports, citing human rights activists.

Timofeev is being held in a prison in Gldani. He lacks access to necessary food and medication, as well as contact with his family. His father recently died in Russia; his ailing mother, whom he had not seen for six years, was left alone.
Timofeev previously spent eight years in prison under a sentence deemed unlawful by the ECHR. During this time, he was granted disability status.
He is a forced vegetarian because meat and other protein sources from the prison diet cause him severe allergic reactions, the publication states.

Moscow's Basmanny Court has arrested Mikhail Timofeev in absentia in connection with the 2004 murder of Khabarovsk businessman Yevgeny Zorya. Former Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal was convicted of organizing his murder, the joint press service of the Moscow courts of general jurisdiction reported on December 27, 2023.

He is charged with the illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation, shipment, or carrying of weapons, main parts of firearms, ammunition, murder, preparation for a crime, and attempted murder.

"The court chose a preventive measure for the accused in the form of detention for a period of 2 months from the moment of his extradition to the territory of the Russian Federation or from the moment of his detention in the territory of the Russian Federation.

The murder of Yevgeny Zorya is one of the episodes that figured in the case of former Khabarovsk Krai Governor Sergei Furgal. In December 2025, a Moscow court sentenced Sergei Furgal to 23 years in prison under In the case of embezzlement of over 2 billion rubles from MSP Bank, in addition to the previously announced sentence for attempted murders of entrepreneurs, the former head of the Khabarovsk Territory was sentenced to 25 years in a maximum-security penal colony. He was also banned from holding government positions for two years and six months. According to investigators and the court, Furgal is the organizer of a criminal group that committed the attempted murder of Alexander Smolsky in 2004-2005, as well as the murders of Yevgeny Zorya and Oleg Bulatov, TASS reported on December 3, 2025.