Archive · 16 Sep 2026
Georgia Sentences Former Security Chief to 13 Years
A court in Georgia sentenced Grigol Liluashvili to 13 years in prison.
He used to lead the country’s State Security Service.
Prosecutors said he accepted bribes and gained money from scam call centres.
They said the total amount was $1.3 million.
Liluashvili said he was not guilty.
The case is part of a larger investigation into former senior officials.
Authorities are also pursuing cases against opposition politicians and parties.
The European Union says Georgia has been becoming more authoritarian.
Many Georgians have protested since the 2024 parliamentary election.
A Georgian court sentenced former security chief Grigol Liluashvili to 13 years in prison on corruption charges.
Prosecutors said Liluashvili took bribes and benefited from scam call centres, receiving $1.3 million in total.
Liluashvili denied guilt, according to the Interpress news agency.
The case is part of wider prosecutions targeting former Georgian Dream officials, alongside a crackdown on opposition groups.
Former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, also targeted in raids, pleaded guilty to money laundering and received five years in prison.
- Who
- Former Georgian security chief Grigol Liluashvili was sentenced by a court in Georgia.
- What
- He received a 13-year prison sentence after being found guilty of multiple bribery cases and benefiting from scam call centres.
- When
- The sentence was reported on Wednesday, September 16; Liluashvili was arrested the previous December.
- Where
- A court in Tbilisi, Georgia.
- Why
- Prosecutors said Liluashvili took bribes and received $1.3 million in total, including benefits from scam call centres.
Authorities’ Case
Defense and Political Critics’ Concerns
Liluashvili’s guilt
Authorities’ Case
Prosecutors said Liluashvili took multiple bribes and benefited from scam call centres, receiving $1.3 million in total; the court found him guilty.
Defense and Political Critics’ Concerns
Liluashvili denied guilt, according to Interpress.
Wider prosecutions
Authorities’ Case
The authorities are pursuing prosecutions against members of the former government elite as part of an anti-corruption crackdown.
Defense and Political Critics’ Concerns
The prosecutions are occurring alongside a crackdown on opposition figures and parties; the European Union describes Georgia’s broader direction as increasingly authoritarian.
- Sentence
- 13 years in prison
- Defendant
- Grigol Liluashvili, former head of Georgia’s State Security Service
- Charges
- Multiple bribery cases and benefiting from scam call centres
- Amount cited by prosecutors
- $1.3 million
- Arrest
- December following raids on his home and those of other former senior officials
- Related case
- Former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili received five years after pleading guilty to large-scale money laundering
- Political context
- The government is pursuing cases against former officials while seeking to ban three main opposition parties