Former Georgian lawmaker, Olympic champion arrested on firearms charges

Former Georgian Dream (GD) lawmaker and Olympic judo champion Zurab Zviadauri has been arrested, the Interior Ministry confirmed on Septemebr 17.

Zviadauri was detained under Article 236 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which addresses 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 applies, leaving open the possibility of a different penalty, including a fine, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media. 

Zviadauri, who won Georgia’s first 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.

The arrest comes amid the Georgian Dream government’s intensified campaign against crime. 

Interior Minister Gela Geladze and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze have vowed an “uncompromised” fight targeting drugs, corruption, organised crime, and illegal firearms.

At a September 8 cabinet meeting, Kobakhidze said the Interior Ministry recorded 384 cases of illegal gun possession over the past three months.

By Sabina Mammadli