The detention occurred on September 3, when Kinoyan crossed the Georgian-Armenian border.
“The Armenian border guards stopped him and detained him on the spot, because, as they said, a notification was displayed on the computer that George was wanted at the request of Russia, and his detention was required,” his brother Vako Kinoyan said.
According to Echo of Moscow, in the Russian Federation George Kinoyan is accused of participating in the hostilities against the Russian Federation in Ukraine. In October 2024, the “court” in Donetsk temporarily occupied by Russia read him “verdict” – seven years of imprisonment.
On September 5, 2025, the court in Armenia appointed him a 40-day extradition opinion, after which the information about him did not receive, the detainee's relative emphasized.
“Within 40 days, Russia must send information to Armenia and require extradition. At any time, an extradition request may be received, a court session will be held in Armenia, and extradition itself can occur very quickly,” said the words of the lawyer Vako Kinoyan.
He expressed the hope that Georgia “will demand to return his citizen and be able to do it so that this story remains a small episode.”
“In case of extradition, everyone knows what can happen. In the best case, there is a risk of inhuman treatment. Personally, I think about much worse … Georgia should not allow this,” Vako believes.
In the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, journalists were informed that Georgy Kinoyan was not wanted through Interpol channels, the Russians were looking for him through a system, to which the country of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) had access to him – therefore, the Georgian border guards did not know about it and could not warn Kinoyan.
