The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) said it arrested a wanted Georgian citizen, later identified by pro-government media as Beka Tchulukhadze, who is accused of purchasing and storing “large quantities” of firearms, ammunition and explosives allegedly intended for “subversive acts” linked to the October 4, 2025, unrest in Tbilisi.
Speaking at a Friday evening briefing, First Deputy SSSG Chief Lasha Maghradze said the man, whose identity he did not disclose, was detained in the “neutral zone” between Georgian and Armenian border checkpoints. Pro-government Imedi TV later identified him as Beka Tchulukhadze.
The unrest took place on October 4, 2025, the day of Georgia’s partially boycotted municipal elections, after a group of protesters responding to a call for a “peaceful revolution” rally attempted to occupy the presidential palace in central Tbilisi and were pushed back by police. More than 60 people, including rally organizers, were later charged in connection with the events, with most placed in pretrial detention. Georgian Dream officials have described the unrest as a foreign-backed coup attempt.
A day later, on October 5, the SSSG said it uncovered firearms, ammunition and explosives, including a detonator, which it alleged were intended for “subversive acts” during October 4 events. The agency said the materials were linked to a “military unit” operating in Ukraine.
At the time, the SSSG identified the suspect only by the initials B.Tch., while Imedi TV named him as Beka Tchulukhadze, saying that he had previously appeared in a case concerning the alleged preparation of an assassination attempt against Georgian Dream founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili in August 2024.
Tchulukhadze, a former law enforcement official who reportedly fought in Ukraine, denied the accusations related to the October 4 unrest in an interview with TV Pirveli aired on November 15, 2025, saying he had nothing to do with the weapons.
Maghradze, however, said on July 10 that the suspect had acted on the instructions of a Georgian member of a “military unit” operating in Ukraine and had acquired the aforementioned military-grade materials, “which, if necessary, were intended to be used by the organizers of the October 4 unrest to carry out subversive acts.”
He repeated the SSSG’s earlier statement that the agency had “neutralized the circle of persons” who had “presumably” been preparing to transport the weapons and explosives to central Tbilisi.
According to Maghradze, the suspect was charged on October 6 under Article 236-3 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which covers the illegal purchase or storage of firearms, ammunition and explosives. He said the man was placed in pretrial detention in absentia the following day and declared wanted on October 8.
“The investigation is also working to obtain further evidence regarding the preparation of subversive acts or the illegal crossing of the state border,” Maghradze said.
He added that investigators were also working to establish whether the detained man and those who allegedly gave him “criminal instructions” had contacts with Bacho Akhalaia, Paata Burchuladze and other individuals accused of organizing the October 4 events.
Former United National Movement Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence in a separate case while awaiting a final ruling in the October 4 case. Opera singer Paata Burchuladze, one of the rally organizers, was sentenced to seven years in prison.
Courts have already delivered rulings in the cases of most of the defendants, 64 in total. The first prison sentences against ten people, including rally organizers, were handed down in May; seven others were sentenced to five-year prison terms on June 19; eight more were sentenced to five years each on June 22; four more were sentenced to 5-7 years, and one was fined on June 24.
Several defendants reached plea agreements. Eight people received suspended sentences on June 9, followed by 14 others on June 10. Twelve more had their prison terms reduced through plea deals on June 24.
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