Former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze has been placed in pretrial detention.
On December 29, Partskhaladze was charged with organizing a murder. Following the court’s decision today, an international search for him will be issued. The investigation accuses him of organizing the killing of Levan Jangveladze, the brother of a so-called “authorized” criminal. He faces 16 to 20 years in prison or a life sentence.
Partskhaladze denies the charges. His lawyer, Gagi Mosiashvili, stated that Partskhaladze is confident he will prove his innocence under objective judicial conditions.
Mosiashvili also argued that pretrial detention should not have been applied at all to the former Prosecutor General accused of contract murder, noting that only “circumstantial evidence” has been presented.
Otar (Romanov) Partskhaladze is a Russian citizen and was sanctioned by the United States in 2023.
According to Prosecutor Levan Vepkhvadze, Partskhaladze is currently in Russia.
“According to the information requested in this case, he is currently in Russia. He left Georgian territory in June 2025. The investigation began in March 2025, after Levan Jangveladze was killed on March 14. Operational information in the case, based on which he became a suspect, emerged in August,” Vepkhvadze said.
The prosecutor also confirmed that audio recordings and witness testimonies exist against Partskhaladze.
Gela Udzilauri, identified as the direct perpetrator of Jangveladze’s murder, has been sentenced to life imprisonment. Separate legal proceedings are ongoing against Giorgi Mikadze, Mamuka Baghdavadze, Giorgi Kachkachashvili, and Sandro Tsivtsivadze, who are currently detained. Warrants have been issued for David Mikadze and Giorgi Jokhadze.