Tbilisi City Court has ruled imprisonment in absentia for Irakli Shaishmelashvili, the former Head of the Operational Planning Unit at the Interior Ministry’s Special Tasks Department.
The decision, delivered by Judge Lela Maridashvili, fully upheld the Prosecutor’s Office’s motion, which argued that Shaishmelashvili posed a risk of fleeing justice, committing further crimes, and destroying evidence.
According to the investigation, several days before the October 4 municipal elections, Shaishmelashvili allegedly made public calls to overthrow the government and violently alter the constitutional order of Georgia. He is also accused of attempting to demoralize police officers within the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), urging them not to intervene against participants in the violent demonstrations.
Authorities claim these actions were part of a coordinated effort to destabilize the country and topple the government through force.
The MIA has arrested 16 more individuals in connection with the October 4 events, bringing the total number of detainees to 62. Meanwhile, criminal proceedings have been launched against two suspects currently abroad, including Shaishmelashvili.
Shaishmelashvili reportedly left Georgia with his family in the aftermath of the November–December 2024 unrest in Tbilisi. On December 26, he announced via social media that he was living in exile, though his current location remains undisclosed.
The court’s ruling marks a significant development in the ongoing probe into the October 4 events, which authorities have described as an attempt to incite unrest and undermine the state’s constitutional stability.
