Vakhtang Gomelauri

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Afgan Mukhtarli

Kidnap, smuggling, and rigged elections: 5 allegations by Georgia’s former security chief

by Shota Kincha

•6 min read

A former deputy director of Georgia’s security service has made a series of serious accusations against the government in recent months, ranging from the kidnapping of a political activist to setting up a system to smuggle goods over the Russian-Georgian border. We’ve rounded up five of his most provocative allegations below. Around midnight on 15 July, police arrested the former deputy director of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG), Soso (Ioseb) Gogashvili, raiding his house. F

Church cyanide plot

Georgian Orthodox archbishop accuses government of plotting to overthrow the Patriarch

by OC Media

•3 min read

A high-ranking member of the Georgian Orthodox Church has accused government officials including Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia of attempting to orchestrate the removal of the head of the Church, Patriarch Ilia II. In an interview with TV Pirveli on 26 October, Archbishop Iakob Iakobishvili claimed the officials had sought his help in removing Ilia II and replacing him with Metropolitan Shio Mujiri. In November 2017, Ilia II named Mujiri as the incumbent of the patriarchal throne, who wil

Georgia

New Interior Minister candidate says he would have used more force in Pankisi

by OC Media

•4 min read

Vakhtang Gomelauri, who is poised to become the next Georgian Interior Minister, has told parliament he would have used more force against residents of Pankisi. Both Gomelauri and prospective defence minister Irakli Gharibashvili made controversial statements in front of lawmakers on Thursday during their confirmation hearings. Gomelauri made the comments in relation to clashes between riot police and residents of northeast Georgia’s Pankisi Valley this April. ‘I would have deployed mo