Ex-Georgian PM questioned in prison over his statements on a human rights defender who died by suicide
Georgia: Gharibashvili questioned in Jorbenadze case
As part of the ongoing investigation into the death of Lazare Jorbenadze, law enforcement officers questioned former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili at Prison No. 12 in Rustavi on September 3.
Jorbenadze had publicly criticised current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. Gharibashvili recently published a letter expressing doubts about the officially stated cause of the human rights defender’s death — suicide.
Following several hours of questioning, prosecutor Medea Tsiramua and Gharibashvili’s lawyer, Natia Tamazashvili, spoke to journalists.
Former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili was sentenced to five years in January 2026 for legalising illicit income on a particularly large scale. He pleaded guilty and reached a plea deal with the prosecution. On August 24, he was charged with a second offence — accepting a particularly large bribe. Gharibashvili denies the new charge.
What the lawyer and prosecutor said
How it started. On September 1, 2026, Irakli Gharibashvili published another letter from prison on social media, calling on government officials to answer questions about the true circumstances of Lazare Jorbenadze’s death. Gharibashvili pointed out that Jorbenadze, a former human rights defender, had criticised current Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in an article by journalist Dito Chubinidze and died by suicide shortly after its publication.
Gharibashvili also noted that the newspaper Asaval-Dasavali, where the article was published, had publicly questioned the suicide theory.
According to the prosecution, Gharibashvili’s public suspicions about the circumstances of Jorbenadze’s death have no direct factual basis. The prosecutor said the former prime minister provided investigators with no new or significant information.
She said the questioning showed that Gharibashvili was neither a direct witness to Jorbenadze’s death nor someone with specific information about it.
“Gharibashvili’s public letters were based solely on information from various publications, rather than any specific facts. He categorically stated that he has no specific information about Lazare Jorbenadze’s suicide,” prosecutor Medea Tsiramua said.
Gharibashvili’s lawyer, Natia Tamazashvili, who is his wife’s sister, said the former prime minister’s questions arose after he read specific publications while in prison and later learned of Jorbenadze’s death.
“His questions arose after he was sent a letter containing an article by journalist Dito Chubinidze in Asaval-Dasavali. The article was critical of Irakli Kobakhidze. Gharibashvili later learned about Jorbenadze’s death, put the facts together and raised questions publicly. During the questioning, he repeated the same questions he had raised in his public letter,” the lawyer said.
According to the defence, Gharibashvili was not trying to provide investigators with previously unknown sources or information. His questions were based on suspicions about a possible connection between the articles published in the media and Jorbenadze’s sudden death.
Series of interrogations in the Lazare Jorbenadze case
Before Gharibashvili was questioned, politicians and public figures were questioned at the Digomi police headquarters in Tbilisi. They were asked about the former prime minister’s letter published on social media.
Investigators questioned Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the opposition coalition For Change, analyst Gia Khukhashvili and several activists.
Gvaramia said he had no information about the details of the case and knew only what had been published on social media.
Opposition politicians Khatia Dekanoidze and Tazo Datunashvili, as well as journalist Nanuka Zhorzholiani, refused to appear for questioning at the police station. They told investigators they would give evidence only in court, in the presence of a magistrate judge.
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