Another senior official from Georgia’s Special Tasks Department steps down

Another senior official from Georgia’s Special Tasks Department (STD) has stepped down amid a wave of high-level resignations. Mileri Lagazauri, the Deputy Head of the STD, has left his position, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) confirmed to media on July 8, citing a “personal request” as the reason for his departure.

Lagazauri’s resignation follows the recent exits of multiple senior figures from the department. Just two days prior, on July 6, Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze confirmed the resignations of Mirza Kezevadze, another deputy head of the department, and senior official Ioseb Margvelashvili, also described as “personal decisions.”

The leadership overhaul began earlier this year. In June 2025, then-head of the department, Zviad Kharazishvili, nicknamed Khareba, also left his post. He was replaced by Roman Kartsivadze. However, speculation about Kharazishvili’s departure—and that of his deputies—surfaced as early as May, when former STD senior official Irakli Shaishmelashvili claimed that the resignations were linked to the earlier exit of Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri.

On July 8, Shaishmelashvili stated that not only senior commanders but also division heads, deputy heads, and field officers have been leaving their posts.
“These were people brought in by Kharazishvili when he was appointed as department director. Wherever he went, he took them with him. They believe they only serve under him and will not follow anyone else’s orders,” Shaishmelashvili said.

Shaishmelashvili himself led the STD’s Operational Planning Division before resigning on December 4, 2024, shortly after a wave of pro-European protests and crackdowns. While he cited “family reasons” in his official resignation, he shared the announcement online alongside images of Georgian and EU flags. Three weeks later, he left Georgia for the United States with his family, and has since become an outspoken commentator on developments inside the MIA and the STD.