TBILISI, September 18 – Georgia’s Olympic judo champion Zurab Zviadauri is refusing to speak to investigators, while still in detention after being arrested on charges of illegal gun possession.
His lawyer, Datuna Modebadze, told reporters that while Zviadauri already had defendant status in a separate murder case, he was not barred from carrying a firearm. He insisted the arrest had no political motivation.
Zviadauri was detained on September 16 when patrol police stopped his car and found a weapon. The firearm has been sent for examination, according to the defense. Modebadze said he was still reviewing case files and could not confirm whether the gun was registered.
Prosecutors have charged the 2004 Athens gold medalist under Georgia’s Criminal Code article 236, which covers the illegal purchase, storage, or carrying of firearms and ammunition. A conviction carries a prison sentence of four to seven years.
The former sports star has long faced separate charges over a deadly 2021 shooting in the village of Tsinandali that left three people dead and five wounded, including his brother. In that case, he was freed on bail of 50,000 lari (about USD 18,000), and the trial by jury is still ongoing.
