Georgia Sentences Former Security Service Chief Grigol Liluashvili to 13 Years for Bribery
Corruption Crackdown on Former Georgian Officials
By Lucy Papachristou
Sentencing of Grigol Liluashvili
TBILISI, Sept 16 (Reuters) - A court in Georgia sentenced its former security service chief to 13 years in prison on Wednesday on corruption charges, part of a broader crackdown on one-time senior officials in the ruling Georgian Dream party, the Interpress news agency reported.
Background and Arrests
Grigol Liluashvili, a former member of parliament who went on to lead the powerful State Security Service from 2019 until 2025, was arrested last December following raids on his home and those of a two-time former prime minister and an ex-prosecutor general.
Connections to Georgian Dream Leadership
All three men had been close allies of Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire former prime minister and founder of Georgian Dream, widely seen as the de facto leader of the South Caucasus country.
Political Context and Broader Implications
Georgia’s Shifting Relationship with the West
Home to 3.7 million people, Georgia was once the former Soviet Union's most democratic and pro-Western successor state, but its ties with the West have soured since the start of the war in Ukraine over what the European Union casts as the country's authoritarian turn.
Other High-Profile Convictions
The former prime minister targeted in last year's raids, Irakli Garibashvili, pleaded guilty to charges of large-scale money laundering and received five years in prison in January.
Details of Liluashvili’s Conviction
A court in Tbilisi found Liluashvili guilty of multiple cases of taking bribes, as well as benefiting from scam call centres run from inside Georgia, receiving $1.3 million in total, according to the prosecutor general's office.
He denied guilt, Interpress reported.
Ongoing Political Tensions
Government Actions Against Opposition
Georgian authorities are pursuing prosecutions against members of the government elite at the same time as they are cracking down on opposition figures and political parties. The government is seeking to ban the three main opposition parties outright.
Public Response
Georgians have staged regular street demonstrations since a parliamentary election in October 2024 resulted in Georgian Dream clinching another term in office.
(Reporting by Lucy PapachristouEditing by Rod Nickel)
