On October 3, 2017, the Public Defender addressed the Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia with a recommendation regarding the revocationof a negative decision on granting refugee and humanitarian status to S.S., citizen of the Republic of Turkey, and requested to resume proceedings in order to make a new and justified decision.

As a result of studying the case, it was established that S.S. is considered to be a member of FethullahGülen’s movement, which is considered a terrorist organization by the Republic of Turkey, and criminal prosecution is underway against him. In addition, he had been in the extradition detention at the request of the Turkish Republic.

The Public Defender considers that the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees of Georgia did not examine all the important circumstances of the case in the decision-making process. In addition, the negative decision was not properly justified. The Ministry did not fully assess the situation of human rights in the Republic of Turkey, which had direct connection with the issue. As a result, the decision made by the Ministry contradicts the Georgian legislation, and therefore, it should be revoked.