Georgian Parliament Defense Committee Chair questioned over 2019 Chorchana checkpoint case

Chairman of the Georgian Parliament’s Defense and Security Committee, Aleksandre Tabatadze, appeared for questioning at the Prosecutor General’s Office in connection with the controversial 2019 establishment of a police checkpoint in the village of Chorchana, near the occupation line with Russian-occupied South Ossetia.

At the time of the incident in August 2019, Tabatadze held the post of Deputy Head of the State Security Service (SSG). Speaking to journalists, he stated that during the rule of the Georgian Dream government, two police checkpoints were installed—one in the village of Zardiaantkari in the Gori district and another in Perevi, Sachkhere district—both of which were coordinated with all relevant state agencies and international partners. He emphasized that these earlier checkpoints did not trigger any problems or shifts in the occupation line, unlike the one set up in Chorchana.

"Under this government, two checkpoints were established where our citizens were facing difficulties. One was in 2012 in Zardiaantkari, Gori district, which was fully coordinated with all agencies and international partners. Since then, there were no issues, and the occupation line was not moved. The second was in Perevi, Sachkhere district, and the same coordinated approach was followed,” Tabatadze explained.

The questioning is part of a broader investigation by the Prosecutor General’s Office into alleged acts threatening Georgia’s constitutional order and national security. The investigation includes multiple articles of the Criminal Code, such as attempted sabotage, collusion with hostile foreign entities, and undermining national security through unauthorized actions.

The focus of the case remains the decision to construct the Chorchana police outpost, a move initiated by then-Interior Minister and later Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. The ruling Georgian Dream party accuses Gakharia of acting unilaterally without proper interagency coordination, allegedly risking heightened tensions in the volatile region.

The case is also being investigated by a temporary parliamentary investigative commission, chaired by Georgian Dream MP Tea Tsulukiani. The commission, formed on February 5, 2025, is reviewing alleged misconduct by former officials from 2003 to 2012 and is expected to operate until July 5. Gakharia, now an opposition leader, has been summoned 2 times and is expected to testify again by June 23.