Germany denies asylum to Russian deserter, citing ex-Defense Minister Shoigu’s claim that mobilization had “ended”

Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has denied asylum to a Russian man who was mobilized into the armed forces, fled from the front, and was tortured after being detained. The basis for the German agency’s decision was a verbal statement by ex-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that Russia’s “partial” mobilization had allegedly ended, despite the lack of any official documents backing up Shoigu’s assertions. Military analyst Alexei Alshansky of “A Farewell to Arms” (“Proshchai, Oruzhie!”), an antiwar association of Russian deserters, reported the decision on X (Twitter).

According to Alshansky, Georgy Avaliani was mobilized in September 2022 and was sent to the front a month later. He immediately tried to flee, was detained, and was taken to what he described as a Defense Ministry “torture basement” known as Zaitsevo, where he was beaten for weeks, tortured with electric shocks, and subjected to mock executions.

Avaliani was later returned to the front but soon ended up in a hospital due to health issues. From there, he managed to get back to Russia and again tried to go into hiding inside the country, but was detained again and taken back to a military unit. After a month, he fled his unit once more, this time leaving Russia. He then spent two years on the run while his family, who remained in Russia, faced harassment from the authorities.

In 2025, Avaliani and his family reached Germany and applied for political asylum, but the case was initially complicated by the so-called Dublin procedure. According to Alshansky, Avaliani entered the European Union through Croatia, where he had previously applied for asylum and had been rejected. Activists, he said, managed to have the case examined on its merits in Germany and to prevent his deportation.

BAMF ended up denying the application. One of the arguments cited in the decision was Shoigu’s October 2022 statement that Russia’s mobilization had allegedly ended. A BAMF official also questioned the existence of “torture basements” in the Russian military and concluded that neither Avaliani nor his family would face any real danger if they returned, other than a possible fine of 30,000 rubles ($400).

“Judging by the text of the refusal, we can be sure the agency essentially did not examine his case on the merits,” Alshansky told The Insider. “Thirty thousand rubles is the fine for evading a draft notice, but Georgy is already a mobilized serviceman, and it was impossible not to understand that fact from his interview. In other words, they simply issued a boilerplate response that is usually given to all Russian draft dodgers seeking asylum, referring to fears of being mobilized. It’s total incompetence — they couldn’t tell a soldier from a civilian.”

Avaliani plans to seek a review of the decision.