On August 6, 2026, Hungarian journalist Laszlo Robert Mezősz, who had been living in Tbilisi, was forced to leave Georgia following his detention by the Migration Department. Mezősz was detained on August 5. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that he had no legal grounds to remain in Georgia and had violated the terms of his stay in the country.

Mezősz’s lawyer, Tornike Janelidze, explained that after the journalist’s legal period of stay in Georgia expired, the authorities refused to extend the deadline by which he was required to leave the country. The decision was appealed in court. The court accepted the case for consideration in February and was expected to rule on whether the deadline for Mezősz to leave Georgia should be extended.

Speaking to Mediachecker, Janelidze said he had expected the journalist to be questioned and released following his detention because the court proceedings were still pending.

“Accordingly, I did not expect them to begin the process of expelling him. On the contrary, we were pursuing the case through legal channels. I also spoke to the police officer and explained that we have a case pending before the court and that Laszlo has the right to remain legally in Georgia until the case is considered. However, the police officer told me that he had been instructed to transfer Laszlo to the Migration Department,” Janelidze told Mediachecker.

Had Mezősz left Georgia voluntarily, he would have faced a relatively small fine and a ban on re-entering the country. Deportation, however, would have entailed more severe consequences. He therefore ultimately decided to leave Georgia voluntarily. Members of the public raised money for his plane ticket, and law enforcement officers escorted him to the airport.

Mezősz had faced persecution in Hungary under Viktor Orbán’s government and had been living in Georgia in recent years. He was actively involved in Georgia’s ongoing pro-European protests and also covered them as a journalist. His activism also made him a target of violence. In September 2025, during a confrontation on Melikishvili Avenue near Kakha Kaladze’s election headquarters, Mezősz was physically assaulted.