Opposition’s Aleko Elisashvili Arrested on Allegations of Attempted Arson Attack
Aleko Elisashvili, one of the leaders of the opposition Lelo/Strong Georgia party, was arrested early on November 29 over what authorities describe as an attempt to “set the building of Tbilisi City Court chancellery on fire.” Footage published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs shows Elisashvili bruised in police custody, while his lawyer suggests a “provocation.”
According to the Interior Ministry, at dawn on November 29, Elisashvili, masked, shattered the glass façade of the chancellery building of the Tbilisi City Court with a hammer, penetrated the chancellery building, spilled gasoline around, including on “chancellery items, technical equipment, and documents,” and “attempted to set the building on fire.”
The Ministry said Elisashvili was caught at the scene by bailiffs, whom he “resisted using a firearm he carried and physically assaulted,” yet the officers still managed to detain him. It added that one bailiff was hospitalized “with injuries sustained during the confrontation,” while Elisashvili was also injured.
Footage released by police shows the alleged crime scene, but not the incident itself. It also features Elisashvili, with bruises around both of his eyes, in police custody. Giorgi Rekhviashvili, Elisashvili’s defense lawyer, suggested that the case may have been prompted by a “provocation” from the authorities.
“It is absurd for a person who lives in Mtatsminda [downtown district] to go to court [located in the outskirts] at 5 am and attempt to set [things] on fire,” Rekhviashvili said in media comments made before visiting Elisashvili in custody.
Authorities say the incident is being investigated under Articles 19 and 187 of the Criminal Code, which pertain to an “attempted crime” and “damage or destruction of property.”
Elisashvili’s Citizens party joined the Strong Georgia alliance, led by Lelo for Georgia, ahead of the October 26, 2024, parliamentary election and remained a member even as other parties and members left the coalition, including over the decision to participate in the partially boycotted 2025 municipal vote. Elisashvili also briefly fought against Russian forces in Ukraine shortly after the full-scale invasion in 2022.
His arrest comes amid several opposition leaders remaining behind bars on various criminal charges, including boycotting Georgian Dream’s parliamentary commission, with some facing additional prosecutions and even convictions.
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