Prepared by Messenger Staff
Son of Former Deputy Interior Minister Arrested in Avaliani Murder Case
Police have arrested Giorgi Malania, son of former Deputy Interior Minister Merab Malania, on charges of failing to report information related to the murder of 28-year-old teacher Giga Avaliani. Malania, reportedly a minor, was detained in Lanchkhuti municipality in western Georgia, his uncle Kote Malania told TV Pirveli on July 1.
The Interior Ministry said Malania "had information about the attack on Giga Avaliani and became aware of the details of the incident shortly after the assault, but did not report it to the police." He is being investigated under Part 2 of Article 376 of Georgia's Criminal Code and faces three to seven years in prison if convicted.
Avaliani was assaulted near his Tbilisi apartment on October 1, 2025, and died on October 24 after spending over three weeks in a coma. Five minors have already been sentenced in the case, including two who received 14 years each, one sentenced to nine years, and two others, including Ani Naskidashvili, convicted on the same failure-to-report charge Malania now faces, receiving seven years.
The arrest follows sustained pressure from Avaliani's mother, Eka Kupatadze, who has pushed for accountability for everyone connected to her son's death. Two related criminal cases remain under investigation.
Tskhinvali Sets September 18 for 'Presidential Election' Following Gagloev's Resignation
The de facto parliament in Georgia's Russia-occupied Tskhinvali region has scheduled a so-called "presidential election" for September 18, local outlet Res reported on July 1.
The early vote comes after Alan Gagloev, the region's de facto leader since 2022, stepped down to take a position advising Russian President Vladimir Putin. His resignation follows the signing of the "Treaty on Deepening Allied Cooperation" between Moscow and Tskhinvali on May 9, an agreement already ratified by both sides that Tbilisi regards as a move toward annexing the region.
Marat Kambolov, who spent years working in Russian federal government structures and was named Tskhinvali's de facto prime minister just a week before Gagloev's departure, will serve as acting "president" until the vote.
The announcement of the election date coincided with a visit to Tskhinvali by Sergey Kiriyenko, an official in the Russian Presidential Administration who is generally seen as the figure overseeing Moscow's policy toward Georgia's occupied territories. Kiriyenko met with Kambolov during the trip.
