Olympic Champion, Ex-Georgian Dream MP Zurab Zviadauri Arrested
Former Georgian Dream lawmaker and Olympic judo champion Zurab Zviadauri has been arrested, the Interior Ministry confirmed to Civil.ge on September 17.
The ministry said Zviadauri was detained under Article 236 of Georgia’s Criminal Code. The Prosecutor’s Office said on September 18 that the suspect has been charged under Parts 3-4 of that article, which address the illegal purchase, storage, and carrying of firearms and ammunition, punishable by four to seven years in prison. Prosecutors have requested that the court place Zviadauri in pretrial detention.
Zviadauri, who won Georgia’s first-ever Olympic gold medal in 2004, served as a GD lawmaker from 2012 to 2016. He was previously arrested in 2021 on charges of intentionally killing a 27-year-old man, but was later released on bail.
His latest arrest comes as the Georgian Dream government and Interior Minister Gela Geladze pledge an “uncompromised” fight against crime, focusing on drugs, corruption, organized crime, and illegal guns. At a September 8 cabinet meeting, GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the Interior Ministry recorded 384 cases of illegal gun possession in the past three months.
Zviadauri’s arrest also follows a string of arrests and prosecutions of former GD members, business associates, and allies.
Note: This news article was updated at 18:05 on September 18 to include the Prosecutor’s Office statement.
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