TBILISI, August 27 – A handwriting analysis conducted by Georgia’s National Forensics Bureau has confirmed that a farewell letter found in the pocket of former Adjara regional leader Tornike Rizhvadze was indeed written by him.
Rizhvadze survived a gunshot wound to his chest in July in what investigators say was a suicide attempt.
The new information was provided by the lawyer of Alexi Akhvlediani, the former head of the Maritime Transport Agency. Akhvlediani is facing charges of negligent firearm storage, as the shooting occurred at his home.
The letter, published by local media shortly after the incident, suggested Rizhvadze was under pressure from corruption accusations and expressed apologies to his family. Opposition figures at the time claimed the case revealed rifts inside the ruling party, while government officials have kept largely silent.
Akhvlediani’s lawyer now argues that the forensic conclusion undermines the prosecution’s case, insisting that her client left the firearm briefly unattended in a closed room rather than storing it recklessly. She plans to request the case be dropped. If convicted, Akhvlediani faces up to three years in prison, though he is currently free on bail.
Rizhvadze, who was taken to Turkey for treatment, has not been formally questioned, with prosecutors citing his health condition.
