Man Dies After Beating by MIA Special Tasks Department Inspector

A man who was severely beaten by an inspector from the Special Tasks’ Department of the Georgian Ministry of Interior died in hospital two weeks after the incident. The Department is headed by infamous Zviad Kharazishvili (a.k.a. “Khareba”) and is notorious for playing key role in persecution and beatings of the demonstrators against the Foreign Agents Law, during 2023 and 2024 popular protests.

Ramaz Mikhanashvili, 51, was severely beaten allegedly by a neighbor, Demetre Revazashvili on July 29 in the village of Ateni, Gori municipality, eastern Georgia and was hospitalized with skull fractures and hemorrhaging. He underwent neurosurgery, but his condition remained critical.

On July 31, the Special Investigation Service arrested Demetre Revazashvili, the Inspector of the Special Tasks Department of the MIA, under Part 1 of Article 117 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which deals with the intentional infliction of serious harm to health that is dangerous to life, punishable by up to seven years in prison.

However, after the investigation revealed that another person was involved in the crime alongside the already indicted MIA official, the Prosecutor’s Office upgraded the charge to reflect a group offense. On August 9, the Prosecutor’s Office said that the two individuals faced a sentence of nine to 13 years in prison.

While the MIA official has been arrested, the other individual, alleged MIA Special Forces member Ioseb Barjadze, who allegedly has a criminal record, remains at large.

After the victim’s death, the charges were amended again, and the two individuals now face sentences of ten to fourteen years, the Prosecutor’s Office said on August 12.

The deadly violence is likely to have a serious impact on the reputation of the MIA and its Special Tasks Department. The Department has faced heavy criticism, particularly due to its infamous head, Zviad Kharazishvili, who admitted to having a special “list” to target and batter civil activists and opponents of the GD government.

NOTE: This news story was updated on August 12 at 17:12 to reflect the decision by the Prosecutor’s Office to upgrade the charges due to the death of the victim.

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