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, which covers the illegal purchase or storage of firearms and carries a potential sentence of three to six years in prison. Officials did not specify which subsection of the article applied, leaving open the possibility of a different penalty, including a fine.
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.
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