Restoration of Georgian Citizenship Following the Annulment of a Presidential Decree

The head of our law firm, attorney Beka Nemsitsveridze, represented an individual whose Georgian citizenship had been terminated by a decree of the President of Georgia. The case constituted a high-profile administrative dispute, the outcome of which resulted in the full restoration of Georgian citizenship.

Factual Background of the Case

The case originated from information provided by the competent authorities of France to the Central Criminal Police Department of Georgia. According to this information, Georgian citizen XXXXX XXXXXXXX had been detained in France for the use of a forged Ukrainian passport.

Based solely on this information, and without verifying whether the individual had actually acquired Ukrainian citizenship, the Central Criminal Police Department addressed the relevant body of the Ministry of Justice and initiated the procedure for termination of Georgian citizenship, alleging that the individual had become a citizen of Ukraine and thus met the statutory grounds for loss of Georgian citizenship.

The individual’s family was notified of the citizenship termination only after all administrative procedures had already been completed, depriving the person of an effective opportunity to defend his rights in a timely manner.

Administrative Proceedings and Legal Challenge

The presidential decree was challenged in court by attorney Beka Nemsitsveridze.
The State Services Development Agency was involved in the proceedings as a third party, as its conclusion had served as the basis for the presidential decision.

The defense maintained that no lawful grounds for termination of citizenship existed, as:

• XXXXX XXXXXXXX had not acquired citizenship of any foreign state;
• the administrative authorities had both the ability and the legal obligation to verify whether Ukrainian citizenship had in fact been obtained, but failed to do so;
• information provided by the French authorities clearly indicated that the Ukrainian passport in question was forged;
• the use of a forged document might give rise to criminal liability in France, but cannot constitute a legal basis for loss of Georgian citizenship;
• the personal data contained in the forged passport (name, surname, date of birth) did not match the official demographic records of XXXXX XXXXXXXX.

Court Decision

Based on the above circumstances, attorney Beka Nemsitsveridze successfully demonstrated that the presidential decision to terminate citizenship was unlawful, unsubstantiated, and adopted without proper examination of the factual circumstances.

As a result, the court:

• fully upheld the claim;
• annulled the presidential decree on termination of citizenship;
• consequently, restored Georgian citizenship to the client.

Legal Significance of the Case

This case clearly demonstrates that:

• termination of Georgian citizenship is permissible only on strictly defined legal grounds;
• administrative authorities are obliged to conduct a thorough and objective examination of all relevant facts;
• assumptions or unverified international information cannot justify deprivation of citizenship;
• professional legal representation plays a decisive role in restoring fundamental constitutional rights.

Citizenship Law Consultation in Georgia

If a procedure for termination of Georgian citizenship has been initiated against you, or if such a decision has already been adopted, timely and qualified legal assistance is crucial.

📌 Contact us for a confidential consultation — citizenship is a constitutional right that can and must be protected through legal means.