Ex-Georgian Defense Minister Gets Sentence Cut to Three Years in Plea Deal
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Former Georgian Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze had his 10-year prison sentence reduced to three years under a second plea agreement, part of two criminal cases tied to an alleged corrupt scheme involving the purchase of medical equipment during his time leading the ministry.
The Court of Appeals approved the deal on September 14. It marks the second time Burchuladze's sentence has been reduced through a plea agreement, this time affecting his original sentence from the medical equipment case.
Prosecutors said the reduced sentences follow Burchuladze's cooperation with investigators, work that also fed into new bribery charges against jailed former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.
Burchuladze and several associates were convicted in April in the first case connected to the procurement deal. Burchuladze received 10 years on charges of abuse of office and large-scale money laundering. In September, weeks after Garibashvili was charged with bribe-taking in the same case, prosecutors brought fresh bribery charges against Burchuladze and a relative.
Those bribery charges led quickly to a plea deal that gave Burchuladze a five-year sentence, three years in prison and two years suspended, along with a fine of 1 million lari. Prosecutors cited his cooperation with the investigation at the time.
Under the latest agreement, approved by the Court of Appeals, Burchuladze's original 10-year sentence was likewise reduced to five years, with three years to be served and two suspended. He was fined 1 million lari, about $384,666, and ordered to forfeit several assets to the state.
The court also approved plea deals for two other figures in the case: Burchuladze's brother-in-law, Vasil Mkheidze, and his former deputy, Giorgi Khaindrava. Both had been sentenced to eight years each in April. Their sentences were reduced to four years and two months, with one year and two months to be served in prison and three years suspended, along with fines of 100,000 lari, about $38,466, each. Both are expected to be released by the end of September under the new terms.
Mkheidze was convicted of aiding large-scale embezzlement and influence peddling. Khaindrava was convicted of large-scale embezzlement.
