Former Defense Minister Okruashvili, Who Fought For Ukraine, Was Arrested In Georgia

• 14.05.2025, 21:26

What he's being accused of.

On Wednesday, May 14, the Tbilisi City Court changed former Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili's measure of restraint in the form of bail in the amount of GEL 20,000 to arrest.

The Georgian service of Radio Liberty reports.

Okruashvili was accused of "failure to comply with the requirement of the temporary investigative commission of the Georgian parliament" (Article 349 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which provides for a fine or imprisonment for up to one year).

As noted in the material, the former minister was summoned to the temporary investigative commission on March 26 to give explanations in connection with the war between Georgia and Russia in 2008, but he refused to appear. After that he was summoned to the Tbilisi City Court.

February 5, the Georgian Dream party created an investigative commission to study the period of the National Movement's rule. According to the piece, Georgian Dream wants to ban the "collective national movement," which refers to the main opposition parties that do not recognize the legitimacy of the current government.

Okruashvili was detained in Georgia in 2019, accused of organizing protests against the ruling party. After the full-scale invasion began, he traveled to Ukraine to fight against Russia.

Irakli Okruashvili served as Georgia's defense minister from 2004 to 2006. Before that he was the Minister of Internal Affairs and Prosecutor General, and after 2006 he headed the Ministry of Economic Development. A year later, Okruashvili was taken into custody after accusations against then Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili - he was accused of corruption, the politician denied it and considered himself a political prisoner.