Georgian opposition politician Zurab Japaridze was detained at a Turkish airport while flying to Brussels for a meeting of European liberals. He is set to be sent back to Georgia on October 15, according to the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group, of which the politician's party, "Girchi — More Freedom," is a member.

ALDE expressed regret that Japaridze would be unable to attend the summit, as well as concern over the "continued pressure on the activities and freedom of movement of opposition parties striving for a pro-European and democratic future for their country."

Japaridze himself explained that he had a scheduled layover in Turkey to transfer to a flight operated by a different airline. He stated that his passport and luggage were confiscated upon his detention.

"I was detained at the border. As it was explained to me, I am banned from entering Turkey starting in November 2025. They received information about me from official Georgian authorities. I am being sent back to Tbilisi tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to hold important meetings. Otherwise, there is nothing to worry about," the politician wrote on social media.

Japaridze also published a photo of a document stating that he is banned from entering Turkey for five years, starting November 20, 2025.

The summit of the "Renew Europe" group leaders, to which the Georgian opposition figure was invited, is scheduled to take place on October 15 in Brussels. Renew Europe is a liberal political group in the European Parliament.

Japaridze was released from prison on December 19, 2025, after serving a seven-month sentence. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for refusing to appear before a session of the Georgian parliament's temporary investigative commission.

In November 2025, while he was already in custody, the politician faced new charges of sabotage and aiding the hostile activities of a foreign state. These charges carry a potential sentence of 7 to 15 years in prison. Georgian prosecutors allege that Japaridze and other opposition figures passed information to representatives of foreign states that could damage the country's national interests. The politician denies the charges.

In April 2026, the Georgian service of Radio Liberty reported that Georgian authorities had transmitted information regarding Japaridze, Elene Khoshtaria, and Giorgi Vashadze to Turkey via Interpol channels.

Case records indicate that Tbilisi contacted the Interpol bureau in Ankara on May 7, 2025. Turkish authorities replied that the named politicians were not in the country and stated that the information had been forwarded to the relevant agencies for their inclusion on the list of individuals banned from entry.

At the time, Japaridze stated that he did not know whether he had been placed on that list, but acknowledged the possibility that he might encounter problems or face detention during trips abroad.