Georgian politicians questioned after ex-prime minister’s claims about Lazare Jorbenadze’s death
Death of Georgian human rights defender Lazare Jorbenadze
Georgian politicians have been summoned for questioning over public statements by former Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili about the death of Lazare Jorbenadze.
According to the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office, investigators have confirmed the suicide theory without ambiguity following investigative work into Jorbenadze’s death on 4 April 2026 and interviews with members of his family.
Nevertheless, because convicted former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili and others have made public statements about the case, investigators will question several political figures further: Irakli Garibashvili himself, Nika Gvaramia, Irma Inashvili, Nanuka Zhorzholiani, Khatia Dekanoidze, Tazo Datunashvili, Gia Khukhashvili, Giorgi Liluashvili, Zaza Davitaia and Ermile Nemsadze.
What happened
On 1 September 2026, former Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili published another letter from prison. He called on the authorities to answer questions about the circumstances surrounding the death of Lazare Jorbenadze, a human rights defender who had criticised Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.
Garibashvili writes that Jorbenadze died by suicide shortly after journalist Dito Chubinidze published an article based on an interview with him.
The newspaper Asaval-Dasavali, which published the interview, questioned the suicide theory. In his letter, Garibashvili stresses that the public should receive an answer about the true cause of Jorbenadze’s death.
The former prime minister says he decided to speak publicly about the issue after comparing the contents of a letter he received from government representatives in February with other circumstances.
According to Garibashvili, on 12 February, officials acting on the instructions of Irakli Kobakhidze and Deputy Prime Minister Mamuka Mdinaradze gave him an article that the newspaper Asaval-Dasavali had published on 2 February 2026.
The article featured a conversation between Dito Chubinidze and Lazare Jorbenadze. Garibashvili says it focused mainly on criticism of Kobakhidze and serious allegations against him.
The former prime minister says the message he received suggested that he was behind the article.
“I received a message expressing the suspicion — based on a completely false assumption — that I was behind the article in question,” Garibashvili writes.
Garibashvili says he categorically rejected the accusation and told government representatives that he had never engaged in publishing “commissioned articles”.
What do politicians say?
Khatia Dekanoidze, one of the leaders of the United National Movement, said she would appear in court to testify in the Lazare Jorbenadze case. She said Bidzina Ivanishvili bears responsibility for the system he created, so investigators should question him as well.
“Bidzina Ivanishvili created a system in which people fight for positions and money, testify against each other, fabricate cases and, of course, are deeply involved in corruption. That is why Bidzina Ivanishvili, Kobakhidze, Mdinaradze and everyone who fabricates all sorts of dirt for money should be summoned for questioning. As for the investigation itself, I have made my position clear: I will go to court,” Dekanoidze said.
Political analyst Gia Khukhashvili said he did not understand why authorities had summoned him for questioning in the Lazare Jorbenadze death case, as he had made no specific statements about Jorbenadze and only learned of his existence after his death.
“I only learned of Jorbenadze’s existence after his death. I did not comment specifically on the situation involving Jorbenadze. I spoke more broadly about suicide cases that raise questions. Kobakhidze and Mdinaradze should be here instead of me, because Garibashvili named them, but they are not being summoned — I am. And now this has turned into nothing more than a tragicomedy,” Khukhashvili commented.
According to Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Coalition for Change, investigators did not ask him about any other subjects during his questioning in the Jorbenadze death case. Gvaramia believes the case may serve two purposes: one could be political propaganda, while the other could involve bringing new charges against the former prime minister.
“The next step, I am sure, will be to bring new charges against Garibashvili, under the article concerning illegal wiretapping. As far as I know, investigators are currently questioning him in prison. Mdinaradze and Kobakhidze should themselves be concerned about such allegations if they are true, although Garibashvili should also provide further explanations,” Gvaramia said after the questioning.
Death of Georgian human rights defender Lazare Jorbenadze
