Former Georgian Chief Prosecutor to face charges over contract killing case

Georgia’s Interior Ministry on Monday said former Chief Prosecutor Otar Parkhaladze will be formally charged over the contract killing of Levan Jangveladze, the brother of a convicted criminal figure.

At a briefing, Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze said investigators had fully solved the case and identified those who organised and carried out the murder.

The official claimed Parkhaladze is alleged to have led an organised criminal group that planned and ordered the killing for financial gain. Prosecutors have issued a decision to charge him with organising premeditated murder, an offence that carries a possible sentence of 16 to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment under Georgian law.

Levan Jangveladze was shot dead on 14 March 2025 on Chavchavadze Avenue in central Tbilisi. His companion was also wounded in the attack.

Investigators said the killing was carried out by former special forces officer Gela Udzilauri, who has already been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Udzilauri admitted to the shooting but denied that it was a contract killing, claiming personal motives. The court rejected that version.

The Interior Ministry claimed brothers Davit and Giorgi Mikadze, along with Giorgi Jokhadze, played key roles in organising the crime. They allegedly recruited Udzilauri, gathered intelligence on the victim’s movements, and coordinated the attack.

Darakhvelidze said prosecutors would seek pre-trial detention for Parkhaladze and that international search procedures would be initiated, indicating that he is not currently in Georgia.

Parkhaladze, who served as Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor in 2013, has previously been sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom. The US State Department has accused him of acting to advance Russian influence in Georgia, citing alleged ties to Russia’s intelligence. Parkhaladze has denied wrongdoing.