Ex-PM Garibashvili given five-year sentence under plea deal

Georgia’s former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili, a former leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, has been sentenced to five years in prison after reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors on corruption-related charges.

The Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday that Garibashvili had admitted guilt and accepted the terms of the agreement, which was approved by the court. He was convicted of money laundering involving particularly large sums, an offence that normally carries a sentence of nine to 12 years in prison.

Under the plea deal, Garibashvili was also fined one million lari, and funds seized during a search of his residence - allegedly obtained through criminal activity - will be confiscated in favour of the state. According to his lawyer, the former prime minister has already been transferred to a penitentiary facility.

Garibashvili was charged on 24 October as part of what authorities had described as a broader anti-corruption crackdown launched in 2025. Investigators previously said they had discovered $6.5 million in cash during searches of his property, while the total amount linked to the alleged crimes was estimated at around 20 million lari. He had initially been released on one million lari bail.

Prosecutors said Garibashvili formally acknowledged the offence. “IGaribashvili admits to the committed crime and agrees to the terms of the plea agreement. The court has already granted the prosecutor’s motion,” the statement said.

Garibashvili is one of several former senior Georgian Dream officials facing corruption charges, but he is the first high-profile figure to reach a plea deal.

A close ally of Georgian Dream founder and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, Garibashvili served twice as prime minister and previously held the posts of interior and defence minister. Ivanishvili once described him as a “highly principled” leader intolerant of corruption, though concerns over nepotism followed him throughout his political career.

Civil society groups and media outlets had continued to raise questions about Garibashvili’s wealth and conduct during and after his second term as prime minister, including controversies over the use of state resources during foreign travel.