Georgia’s Prosecutor General Gabitashvili, sanctioned by the UK, resigns

Georgia’s Prosecutor General Giorgi Gabitashvili has resigned. He is set to take over as the country’s new Auditor General, replacing Tsotne Kavlashvili, who resigned on Tuesday to become a deputy Finance Minister.

Gabitashvili’s resignation and nomination for the new role were announced at a joint briefing on Wednesday with Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, who said the move would ‘significantly strengthen the State Audit Office’.

During the briefing, Gabitashvili said he was ‘proud of every day spent in the Prosecutor’s Office’ and thanked the ruling Georgian Dream party for ‘renewed trust’ through the new post.

Gabitashvili was confirmed as Prosecutor General in July 2024. In April 2025, the UK sanctioned him alongside other officials ‘for their role in allowing serious human rights violations’ during the ongoing pro-EU protests in Georgia.

The UK government stated at that time that he failed to properly investigate those responsible for serious violence.

As for Kavlashvili, he has headed the State Audit Office of Georgia since 2022 and previously served as Deputy Finance Minister for seven years. He now returns to that role, becoming the sixth deputy to the minister.

Gabitashvili’s resignation marks the latest in a string of recent personnel changes in the cabinet and state agencies, some involving officials under international sanctions.

Earlier, on Monday, Deputy Interior Minister Ioseb Chelidze resigned, following the 28 May departure of Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri. Both had been sanctioned for police violence against anti-government protesters — Gomelauri by the US and UK, among others.

Earlier, on 25 April, Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze stepped down and was replaced by Revaz Sokhadze, a majoritarian member of the Tbilisi City Municipal Assembly.

During the same period, Grigol Liluashvili resigned from his position at the State Security Service and was replaced by the now-former Minister of Justice, Anri Okhanashvili. Prior to that, Liluashvili had been sanctioned by Estonia and Lithuania.

Liluashvili was initially nominated for the post of Minister of Regional Development, but after two days, Kobakhidze announced that they could not agree on some issues, among them, the functions of the deputy ministers. Therefore, Liluashvili’s candidacy was withdrawn. It was later revealed that the Regional Development Ministry would be headed by Kahha Guledani, the Deputy Mayor of Tbilisi.

Additionally, on 4 April, the head of the Adjara government, Tornike Rizhvadze, resigned. He was replaced by Sulkhan Tamazashvili, the Director of the Tbilisi Police Department, who is sanctioned by the UK over the violence against protesters.

Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister resigns days after departure of Interior Minister

Ioseb Chelidze was appointed as Deputy Interior Minister in September 2019, shortly after Vakhtang Gomelauri took over the ministry.

OC MediaMikheil Gvadzabia