Ex-Adjara police chief appointed Deputy Director of Georgia’s Central Criminal Police

Grigol Beselia, the former head of the Adjara Police Department, has been appointed Deputy Director of Georgia’s Central Criminal Police Department under Director Teimuraz Kupatadze. The appointment was confirmed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Beselia stepped down from his position in Adjara on April 4. His appointment comes despite international sanctions imposed on him by the Baltic states — Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. He is among those sanctioned for allegedly giving false testimony against jailed journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, which the Baltic governments say contributed to her unlawful detention.

The sanctions were part of a coordinated package targeting individuals involved in human rights violations and suppression of press freedom in Georgia.