Former wrestling champion and MP Luka Kurtanidze charged with domestic violence in Georgia

Luka Eldar Kurtanidze, an Olympic wrestler and former member of Georgia’s parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party, has been charged with several criminal offences related to domestic violence, including violating a restraining order, physical assault, and property damage. The charges could carry a sentence of up to five years in prison.

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office said on Tuesday Kurtanidze had physically assaulted his ex-wife and damaged her vehicle on 25 July in the coastal town of Kobuleti. Authorities said he had twice approached the victim’s residence in breach of a court-issued protective order that barred him from making contact or coming near her home.

The prosecution claimed the alleged violence was motivated by “intolerance toward gender equality” and that Kurtanidze’s actions caused both physical and emotional harm. He was arrested on the day of the incident, and the Prosecutor’s Office has requested that the court impose pre-trial detention.

Kurtanidze has been charged under several articles of the Georgian Criminal Code, including domestic violence causing physical pain, intentional damage to a family member’s property and violation of protective order conditions (two counts).

Kurtanidze, a two-time Olympic bronze medallist (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000), also won two world championships and five European titles in freestyle wrestling. As recently as 2024, he claimed a world title at the Veterans’ Wrestling Championships in Croatia.

Beyond sports, Kurtanidze entered politics in 2010, initially joining the opposition before aligning with the ruling Georgian Dream party. He briefly served in parliament in 2015-2016 and held various administrative posts, including President of the Georgian Wrestling Federation and Head of Physical Training at the Police Academy.