Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has expanded charges against the suspects in the murder case of Giga Avaliani, adding four additional episodes of group violence, Tbilisi Prosecutor Giorgi Mikaia said at a briefing.
The prosecution says the investigation has established that the defendants — Aleksandre Gabashvili, Giorgi Rikadze, and Demetre Chikovani — were involved in at least four additional incidents of organized group violence unrelated to the fatal attack on Avaliani. Prosecutors have also released video materials allegedly showing the suspects participating in violent assaults, including footage in which Gabashvili is seen carrying various weapons. One of the videos was reportedly found on the mobile phones of Rikadze and Chikovani.
The Prosecutor’s Office stated that Rikadze and Chikovani were involved in all four newly identified episodes, while Gabashvili participated in two of them. Investigators say the group systematically targeted individuals they deemed “unacceptable,” luring victims to meetings under false pretenses — often posing as women online — before assaulting them. The attacks were filmed, and the footage was stored and shared within closed groups.
The case centers on the fatal assault of Giga Avaliani, which prosecutors say was premeditated. Investigation established that in September 2025 Gabashvili learned from an acquaintance that Avaliani, who was working as a private tutor, was allegedly showing “excessive attention” toward her. Prosecutors say Gabashvili then contacted Rikadze and Chikovani, after which the three decided to attack Avaliani as a group and cause him serious bodily harm.
Investigators allege the suspects identified Avaliani through social media, studied his daily routine, tracked his movements between work and home, and selected a location for the attack. An initial attempt to assault him on September 29, 2025, near an educational center in Tbilisi’s Zghvis Ubani settlement failed. Two days later, on October 1, Gabashvili and Rikadze allegedly carried out the attack, severely beating Avaliani near a residential building in the same area. Avaliani later died in a medical facility on October 24, 2025, as a result of the injuries sustained.
Prosecutors say the organized group carried out multiple assaults in different districts of Tbilisi throughout 2025, including attacks in Didi Dighomi and public spaces, targeting individuals they intended to “punish or intimidate.” Victims were reportedly beaten repeatedly with hands and feet and subjected to verbal abuse.
Gabashvili and Rikadze are charged under Article 117, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of Georgia — intentional grievous bodily harm committed by a group resulting in death — as well as Article 225, Parts 1 and 2, for organizing and participating in violent group actions. These charges carry a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. Chikovani faces charges under Article 225 for group violence, punishable by up to nine years in prison, and is also charged with preparing to commit grievous bodily harm as part of a group.
All three defendants remain in pre-trial detention. The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia said the investigation is ongoing and that additional suspects may be charged if further evidence emerges.
