Businessman Giorgi Ramishvili Released on Bail

Businessman Giorgi Ramishvili, who was detained for allegedly carrying a firearm in his hand luggage at the airport, was released on bail of GEL 70,000 (approximately USD 26,000) following a late-evening court hearing on July 7.

Ramishvili, founder of the Silk Road Group, an investment company that brings together major Georgian businesses in communications and hospitality, was detained on July 6. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, law enforcement officers seized a firearm, a magazine, and cartridges while scanning his hand luggage at the departures terminal of Tbilisi International Airport.

Prosecutors charged him the next day with illegally carrying a firearm, a criminal offense punishable by four to seven years in prison, and requested Ramishvili’s pretrial detention.

Ramishvili’s detention drew public scrutiny and fueled suspicions that it was part of a broader crackdown by Georgian Dream targeting former officials and business associates, including through arrests or legislative initiatives introducing radical measures against those convicted of financial crimes. However, his defense dismissed any political motivation, describing the firearm incident as an “unforeseen mistake.”

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