Georgian Supreme Court life judge appointed deputy Interior Minister amid sanctions

Shalva Tadumadze, a life judge of Georgia’s Supreme Court, has been appointed Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, the ministry’s press service confirmed on Monday. Tadumadze becomes the fifth deputy in the ministry, joining Shalva Bedoidze, Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, Giorgi Butkhuzi, and Ioseb Chelidze.

Tadumadze’s career includes a tenure as Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Court since 2019 and a stint as Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor from 2018 to 2019. Before entering the judiciary, he served as Head of the Government Administration and worked as a lawyer for Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

The appointment comes amid controversy, as Tadumadze faces sanctions imposed by Lithuania on December 5, citing his alleged role in undermining democratic principles. Tadumadze has announced plans to appeal the visa restrictions at the European Court of Human Rights.

The United States and the United Kingdom this month sanctioned the Interior minister, his deputy Darakhvelidze and several other high-ranking law enforcement officials, accusing them of responsibility for attacks on journalists and peaceful demonstrators during pro-European rallies in Georgia sparked by the Government’s decision last month to halt EU accession talks until 2028.