A Hungarian journalist, László Róbert Mézes, who was detained by migration authorities in Tbilisi on August 5, will leave Georgia voluntarily, according to his lawyer. Mézes, a journalist and activist, was taken into custody by the Interior Ministry’s Migration Department for allegedly overstaying his permitted period of stay in the country.
The Interior Ministry stated that Mézes remained in the country “without legal grounds.” However, his lawyer, Marika Arevadze, claimed that he was staying in Georgia legally. Arevadze announced on Facebook that Mézes had decided to leave the country voluntarily, and as a result, there would be no court proceedings.
Another lawyer for Mézes, Tornike Janelidze, told RFE/RL’s Georgian Service that if Mézes leaves the country within 48 hours of his detention, migration police officers will escort him to the airport, and the case will not be reviewed by a court. Janelidze expects the Border Police to impose a fine on Mézes and ban him from re-entering Georgia for a certain period.
Mézes has been living in Georgia and has actively covered anti-government protests. He has also been a vocal critic of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and a supporter of current Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar. Mézes has contributed to various media outlets, including Civil.ge.
It is reported that Mézes is expected to speak about the details of his detention and departure from Georgia once possible.
Article and image source: civil.ge
