Day: February 18, 2026

The Interior Ministry said 15 people were arrested on February 18 outside Tbilisi City Court during brawls that erupted amid a hearing in the high-profile murder case of businessman Levan Jangveladze.

Video footage from the scene showed groups of men outside the court confronting each other loudly on the street, with one person striking a car and breaking its windshield. Police, mobilized in large numbers, dragged several individuals away and arrested them. People could be heard swearing at one another.

The confrontation was reportedly between supporters of Jangveladze’s family and the Mikadze brothers, who are accused of organizing his contract killing. Similar tensions flared the previous day, though no arrests were reported.

Levan Jangveladze, the brother of criminal underworld figure Merab Jangveladze, was shot dead in Tbilisi in March 2025. Former riot police officer Gela Udzilauri was sentenced in October to life imprisonment after being found guilty of intentional murder and contract killing for mercenary purposes. He admitted to the shooting but denied that it was premeditated or financially motivated.

Several other individuals have been charged in the case, including Georgia’s former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, who is believed to hold Russian citizenship and is not residing in Georgia, as well as brothers Davit and Giorgi Mikadze, all accused of allegedly organizing the killing. While Giorgi Mikadze is in pretrial detention, his brother and Partskhaladze are wanted and charged in absentia.

The Mikadze brothers and Merab Jangveladze are known figures in the criminal underworld, and the case is believed to stem from disputes among influential criminal groups.

Today, the Mikadze brothers and Otar Partskhaladze were also charged in a separate case, accused of fraud and money laundering linked to alleged scam call centers. A total of 10 individuals were charged, including journalist Eliso Kiladze, who actively covered developments in the Jangveladze case.

Also Read:

• 03/02/2026 – Police Arrest 45 Over Links with ‘Thieves’ World’
• 03/02/2018 – Georgia to Criminalize Aiding ‘Thieves-in-Law’

The Interior Ministry said 15 people were arrested on February 18 outside Tbilisi City Court during brawls that erupted amid a hearing in the high-profile murder case of businessman Levan Jangveladze.

Video footage from the scene showed groups of men outside the court confronting each other loudly on the street, with one person striking a car and breaking its windshield. Police, mobilized in large numbers, dragged several individuals away and arrested them. People could be heard swearing at one another.

The confrontation was reportedly between supporters of Jangveladze’s family and the Mikadze brothers, who are accused of organizing his contract killing. Similar tensions flared the previous day, though no arrests were reported.

Levan Jangveladze, the brother of criminal underworld figure Merab Jangveladze, was shot dead in Tbilisi in March 2025. Former riot police officer Gela Udzilauri was sentenced in October to life imprisonment after being found guilty of intentional murder and contract killing for mercenary purposes. He admitted to the shooting but denied that it was premeditated or financially motivated.

Several other individuals have been charged in the case, including Georgia’s former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze, who is believed to hold Russian citizenship and is not residing in Georgia, as well as brothers Davit and Giorgi Mikadze, all accused of allegedly organizing the killing. While Giorgi Mikadze is in pretrial detention, his brother and Partskhaladze are wanted and charged in absentia.

The Mikadze brothers and Merab Jangveladze are known figures in the criminal underworld, and the case is believed to stem from disputes among influential criminal groups.

Today, the Mikadze brothers and Otar Partskhaladze were also charged in a separate case, accused of fraud and money laundering linked to alleged scam call centers. A total of 10 individuals were charged, including journalist Eliso Kiladze, who actively covered developments in the Jangveladze case.

Also Read:

• 03/02/2026 – Police Arrest 45 Over Links with ‘Thieves’ World’
• 03/02/2018 – Georgia to Criminalize Aiding ‘Thieves-in-Law’