Tbilisi Court releases businessman Giorgi Ramishvili on ₾70,000 bail after airport gun incident

Tbilisi City Court has imposed bail of 70,000 GEL on prominent Georgian businessman Giorgi Ramishvili, widely known as “Zarala,” following his arrest at Tbilisi International Airport for the unlawful possession of a firearm.

Ramishvili was released directly from the courtroom on July 7 and given 30 days to pay the bail.

During the hearing, the founder of Silk Road Group, Silknet, and Euronews Georgia claimed the incident was a mistake and that he did not realize the weapon was in his bag before heading to the airport.

“I want to be clear: saying I was 'carrying a firearm' sounds serious, but it was a mistake. If I had known the gun was there, I would not have taken it. It was simply left in the bag, and I didn’t notice. I regret it deeply,” Ramishvili told the court. “This will be a serious lesson for me.”

Ramishvili was detained on July 6 after airport security discovered a 9mm Walther PPK/S pistol, a magazine, and seven rounds of ammunition in his carry-on luggage during a scanner check. While the weapon was legally registered for storage, it was being transported illegally, according to prosecutors.

The Prosecutor’s Office had requested pretrial detention, but the court opted for bail instead.