Garibashvili case 2.0: Trial begins over second charge against Georgia's ex-PM
Second charge against Georgia’s ex-PM
On 2 November, Tbilisi City Court began hearing the bribery case against former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
This time, Garibashvili himself was present in the courtroom, marking his first appearance at a hearing in the case. He had previously described the court proceedings as a “masquerade” and maintained in letters from prison that he would not take part in them.
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“It is very important that the proceedings are conducted transparently,” Irakli Garibashvili said at the start of the hearing, explaining his decision to attend.
However, the hearing was closed to the public at the prosecution’s request. Prosecutors argued that the case involved the Defence Ministry, required testimony from other senior officials and concerned personal data.
Garibashvili and his defence team strongly opposed the decision. His lawyer argued that such proceedings had never previously been held behind closed doors. He maintained that the case involved no classified information and that the decision had been made solely because Garibashvili was attending the hearing.
This is the second criminal case against Garibashvili. He was charged with accepting a bribe on 24 August 2026, an offence punishable by 11 to 15 years in prison.
According to investigators, former Defence Minister Juansher Burchuladze handed Garibashvili, who was prime minister at the time, 750,000 lari (approximately $292,000) from a 1.5m-lari (approximately $584,590) bribe allegedly received from businessman Zurab Tukvadze, who had won a tender for the Gori Military Hospital. In effect, prosecutors allege that Burchuladze shared the bribe with Garibashvili. Burchuladze himself testified against the former prime minister.
The first criminal case against Garibashvili concerned money laundering. On 12 January 2026, he pleaded guilty and reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, receiving a five-year prison sentence instead of the nine to 12 years prescribed by the Criminal Code.
“Long live the layman!”
Despite being held behind closed doors, the hearing was well attended. Those present included Irakli Garibashvili’s wife, eldest son, brother-in-law and uncle. However, only two of his allies from the ruling Georgian Dream party attended: former Justice Minister Rati Bregadze and former MP Luka Kurtanidze.
“Long live the layman!” Luka Kurtanidze cheerfully exclaimed as Garibashvili entered the courtroom, apparently seeking to emphasise that the former prime minister was now an ordinary citizen. The remark earned him a stern warning from Judge Tamar Mchedlishvili.
Garibashvili sat in a glass-enclosed dock reserved for defendants, surrounded by security guards. Dressed entirely in black, he appeared to have lost weight. He occasionally glanced towards the courtroom from behind a guard’s shoulder and smiled at his wife.
The hearing began with the standard procedure of establishing the defendant’s identity.
“First name, surname?“
“Irakli Garibashvili, son of Tariel.”
“Do you speak the state language?“
“I’m trying,” Garibashvili replied, attempting to make a joke.
“I can make jokes too, but this is a courtroom. Let’s keep things appropriate,” the judge responded sternly.
Shortly afterwards, journalists were asked to leave, and the hearing continued behind closed doors.
“Ivanishvili has been misled”
Following the hearing, Garibashvili’s family members declined to comment to the media. The former prime minister’s son, Nikoloz, tried to push reporters aside to escort his mother out of the courtroom.
Garibashvili’s lawyer and two fellow party members who had come to support him spoke to journalists.
“I came to see a friend whom I have missed very much. I want to wish him strength and hope that he will return to his family very soon,” former Justice Minister Rati Bregadze said.
Asked whether he believed his friend had committed a corruption offence, Bregadze said it was for the court to decide.
“I am truly proud to have had the opportunity to work alongside Irakli Garibashvili. The court will determine everything else. This is all very emotional for me,” he said.
The former minister declined to answer when asked whether the new charge was linked to the appointment of Mamuka Mdinaradze as head of the State Security Service.
However, Luka Kurtanidze, a former freestyle wrestler turned politician known for his fiery temperament, was more forthcoming. He called Mdinaradze a “rat” and claimed that Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili had been “misled”.
“I am happy to have seen the layman, Irakli Garibashvili. He is healthy and strong. Only fools and rats like Mdinaradze would believe this nonsense [about accepting a bribe],” he said.
“Garibashvili was subjected to psychological pressure”
Details of what Garibashvili said after journalists were ordered to leave the courtroom emerged from his lawyer, Soso Baratashvili.
According to Baratashvili, the former prime minister told the court that he had been subjected to psychological and moral pressure before the investigation began in an attempt to force him to admit to accepting a bribe.
The lawyer called on investigators to launch an inquiry, claiming that Garibashvili could provide information confirming that he had been subjected to pressure.
“He did not name anyone today. But during the investigation, he will, of course, identify who made the proposal. He will explain all the details to investigators. This allegation is not unfounded,” the lawyer said.
Baratashvili argued that the decision to hold the trial behind closed doors was unjustified and intended to conceal details of the case.
“The prosecution is using this as a tool. It wants to cover up the case and hide the details from the public, the media and human rights defenders. This is a very serious violation,” he said.
According to Baratashvili, the defence intends to appeal the judge’s decision.
Background
Irakli Garibashvili is more than just a former prime minister. For nearly two decades, he was one of the closest and most trusted associates of Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is widely regarded as Georgia’s de facto ruler.
Before entering politics, Garibashvili served as director-general of Ivanishvili’s Cartu Foundation and represented his business group. When Ivanishvili stepped down as prime minister in 2013, he effectively handed the position to Garibashvili, who was just 31 at the time.
Garibashvili served as prime minister from 2013 to 2015. He later became defence minister before Ivanishvili backed his return to the premiership in 2021.
In April 2025, Garibashvili announced his retirement from politics. Later that year, he was imprisoned on money-laundering charges.
