Elisashvili Faces Second Terrorism Count Over Court Fire
By Messenger Staff
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
The Georgian Prosecutor General's Office has leveled additional terrorism charges against Aleko Elisashvili, the opposition party Citizens leader, currently in pretrial detention. Already held for a November attempt to burn the Tbilisi City Court chancellery, Elisashvili is now accused of a similar attack on the court's archive that took place earlier in May.
Evidence released by authorities on March 30 includes CCTV footage that allegedly links Elisashvili to both dates. Investigators claim that on May 4, 2025, a masked individual used a ventilation duct to reach the building's windows. According to the prosecution, the suspect "threw a flammable petroleum-based substance into the archive room through the window, sparking a fire."
The statement further alleged that the perpetrator "returned to another window near a second archive room, climbed the duct again, and set fire to the window and wires" before emergency services contained the flames.
While the politician previously confessed to the November incident, his defense team has rejected the new allegations regarding the archive fire. Elisashvili remains in custody under Article 323 of the Criminal Code, a charge that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years.
In a statement made shortly before these new charges were announced, Elisashvili distanced himself from the label of "political prisoner." He expressed concern that the ruling party was using his specific legal situation to cast doubt on other jailed opposition figures.
"If any list of political prisoners were requested or compiled for their release, I do not want to be included," he remarked on March 24.
Elisashvili is the leader of the Citizens' Party and a member of the Strong Georgia coalition. He is also known for his brief stint as a volunteer fighter in Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion.
