Prosecutor’s Office charges Aleksi Akhvlediani over firearm used in Adjara ex-Head Rizhvadze suicide attempt

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has formally charged Aleksi Akhvlediani, Director of the Maritime Transport Agency, under Article 238 of the Criminal Code for negligent storage of a firearm, which allegedly enabled former Adjara Government Chairman Tornike Rizhvadze to attempt suicide.

According to the investigation, Rizhvadze was a guest at Akhvlediani’s home in Sagarejo on the evening of July 6. Between approximately 1:10 and 1:30 a.m. on July 7, Rizhvadze reportedly secretly retrieved a Glock pistol belonging to Akhvlediani, which had been carelessly stored in a glassed-in gazebo near the house. He then brought the firearm into a guest bedroom and shot himself in the chest, causing serious lung damage.

The Prosecutor’s Office stated that the weapon had not been securely stored, thereby constituting a criminal offense that carries up to three years in prison. A court will soon consider the request for a preventive measure against Akhvlediani.

Akhvlediani was arrested on July 7 and initially taken to the Sagarejo police department, later transferred to a detention facility in Tbilisi. His lawyer, Lali Aptsiauri, said that he is in a severely distressed emotional state and that formal case materials have not yet been shared with the defense.

Meanwhile, Rizhvadze remains in serious but stable condition at the First University Clinic in Tbilisi following emergency surgery. A criminal case under Article 115—incitement to suicide—has also been launched. According to media reports, a note found on Rizhvadze referenced political and personal pressure and called for protection of his family.

Rizhvadze served as head of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara from 2018 until his resignation in April 2025.