Merab Turava Appointed Deputy of GD Justice Minister
Former chairman of the Constitutional Court of Georgia, Merab Turava was appointed as Deputy of Georgian Dream Minister of Justice on April 29.
Turava is among a group of GD officials sanctioned by Lithuania for enforcing repressive measures on behalf of Georgian Dream. The list targets judges, prosecutors, police officers, and other government officials accused of undermining democratic institutions.
Turava served as chairman of the Constitutional Court from June 2020 until his term expired on March 30, 2025. He became a judge in March 2015 and served as its deputy chair starting in January 2018.
His appointment comes amid a broader reshuffle within Georgia’s one-party parliament. The changes follow the April 2 announcement by Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze that Paata Salia, former director of the pro-government broadcaster Rustavi 2, would become the new GD Justice Minister, replacing Anri Okhanashvili, who was appointed head of the State Security Service.
In 2014, following a change in government, Turava was nominated to the Constitutional Court by the Georgian Dream parliamentary faction. In 2015, he notably refused to sign the court’s verdict in the case of former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, delaying the ruling’s legal effect. The case concerned the violation of pre-trial detention limits.
Turava was also involved in the controversial judicial oversight of the Rustavi 2 television ownership dispute.
Also Read:
- 25/04/2025 – Roland Meskhi Appointed First Deputy to GD’s Interior Minister Gomelauri
- 16/04/2025 – Constitutional Court Elects New Chairman
- 10/04/2025 – Consolidating Autocracy? GD Reshuffle Leaves Experts Guessing
- 02/04/2025 – GD Cabinet Reshuffled
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