TBILISI, DFWatch–The former head of the government of Georgia’s autonomous Adjara region remains in a serious but stable condition after being hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Tornike Rizhvadze’s shooting has triggered a political firestorm in Georgia, with speculation centering on whether it was a suicide attempt. Meanwhile, authorities are awaiting forensic results to confirm the authenticity of a note attributed to Rizhvadze.
According to Levan Ratiani, director of the First University Clinic in Tbilisi, Rizhvadze is undergoing a thorough medical evaluation and is attended to by specialists. He did not answer questions about whether Rizhvadze suffered any injuries beyond lung damage.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) initially reported on Monday that Rizhvadze had been admitted to a hospital in Sagarejo with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was later transferred to the First University Clinic in the capital. A man named Aleksi Akhvlediani has been detained in connection with the case on suspicion of negligent storage of a firearm. Authorities have launched an investigation based on suspicion of incitement to suicide.
Akhvlediani’s lawyer, Lali Aptsiauri, said she had not been able to speak meaningfully with her client. “He is in an extremely difficult condition. I couldn’t even ask a question, just inquired about his health and whether he needed help,” she said.
A letter allegedly written by Rizhvadze has been circulated on social media and broadcast by pro-government channel Imedi. The letter appears to be a claim of responsibility and a request for forgiveness.
The authenticity of the letter is now being questioned, not least among opposition figures. Eka Beselia, a former MP and founder of the NGO House of Justice, said such letters are not written a few minutes before a suicide and questioned whether the note was truly written in a state of emotional distress. Beselia, who is a lawyer by education, called for a ballistic examination to determine the distance from which Rizhvadze was shot.
Former President Salome Zourabichvili also weighed in on the case, writing on the X platform, tagged “#TerrorinGeorgia”: “High level corruption and vendetta is the new reality. Russian mafia style!”
Former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia warned of “uncontrollable chaos” in a post on Facebook.
In contrast, MP Tengiz Sharmanashvili of the ruling Georgian Dream party urged caution: “Has it been established that this letter is really his? Was a forensic analysis conducted?” He stressed that Rizhvadze’s family would be protected. There have not been further statements by the Georgian Dream leadership.
