Giorgi Choladze was questioned at the Tbilisi Prosecutor’s Office in connection with the criminal case launched against Giorgi Gakharia, chairman of the Gakharia for Georgia party, regarding the events of June 20–21, 2019.

Choladze served as head of the Prime Minister’s Office when Gakharia was Minister of Internal Affairs. As he stated after the questioning, he provided investigators with all the information he possessed.

“I was questioned about June 20. No questions were asked regarding the Chorchana episode. An additional investigation is underway based on the conclusion of the European Court of Human Rights, and I answered all questions in that regard. Assessing legal issues is not my role — the investigative agency will evaluate that and draw its conclusions.

As for political responsibility, Gakharia himself stated that he took political responsibility. I don’t know what political responsibility he meant, but that is what he said. I repeat: I provided all details I knew,” Choladze said.

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has initiated two criminal cases against former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.

The first concerns the events of June 20–21, 2019. According to prosecutors, then–Minister of Internal Affairs Gakharia, “disregarding instructions and legal requirements,” ordered the joint use of special means by the Special Tasks Department without warning and without giving peaceful demonstrators the chance to leave, resulting in intentional harm to citizens. Dozens of people were injured, including from rubber bullets.

The second case concerns the Chorchana episode.

In both cases, Gakharia has been sentenced to pretrial detention in absentia as a preventive measure.