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Six arrested over alleged police violence case in Georgia’s Gori


Arrests over alleged police violence in Georgia

Arrests over alleged police violence in Georgia

According to Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office, authorities have arrested six people in connection with a case involving alleged violence by police officers against a civilian in the city of Gori.

The case concerns an incident that took place in Gori on 27 May 2026, when, according to investigators, police officers “exceeded their official authority” during the detention of the victim.

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, the investigative department of the regional prosecutor’s office for Shida Kartli and Mtskheta-Mtianeti, working in coordination with the Interior Ministry’s General Inspection, established that the violence resulted in a serious violation of the victim’s rights and caused damage to his health.

Investigators arrested six people on 28 May as part of the inquiry. Prosecutors charged them under Article 333, Part 3, Subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code, which concerns abuse of official authority involving the use of force. The offence carries a prison sentence of between five and eight years.

The Prosecutor’s Office said that, “given the high level of public interest”, authorities will keep the public informed about the progress of the investigation.

The case attracted widespread attention on 27 May after Kartlis Ambebi published video footage that allegedly showed several police officers sexually assaulting a man during his detention.

Georgia’s Public Defender’s Office responded to the incident, describing the footage as “alarming” and calling on prosecutors to conduct an objective and effective investigation.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also commented on the incident while speaking to journalists:

“These are absolutely unacceptable scenes and, of course, the relevant state bodies must and will respond appropriately. The public will be informed about this.”


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South Caucasus News

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Georgian Dream Establishes ‘Diplomacy Academy’ Under Foreign Ministry


Georgia’s disputed Parliament adopted amendments establishing a “Diplomacy Academy,” a new higher education institution under the governance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and granting the Foreign Minister the status of holding “the highest diplomatic rank,” which carries an additional monthly payment of GEL 1,360 (about USD 510).

The amendments to the Law on Diplomatic Service , which have been passed the third and final reading with 70 votes on May 28, envisage the creation of a Legal Entity of Public Law (LEPL), the Diplomacy Academy. It would offer bachelor’s degree programs in Political Science and International Relations, as well as master’s degree programs in Political Science and Diplomacy-International Relations.

The initiative comes amid the Georgian Dream government’s controversial “one city, one faculty” higher education reform, under which Tbilisi State University (TSU), one of the country’s leading public universities, was designated as the only state university in Tbilisi offering social and political sciences programs. The planned creation of the Diplomacy Academy has raised questions whether international relations and political science, which are part of TSU’s social and political sciences faculty, could subsequently be phased out and centralized within the ministry’s new institution.

Asked by an opposition-leaning Formula TV journalist whether the creation of the Diplomacy Academy would cause the international relations programme at TSU to be phased out, Georgian Dream Education Minister Givi Mikanadze answered “Yes,” citing the“one city, one faculty” principle. “If a given department at a state university undergoes authorization at the Diplomatic Academy, that program at the university where it is currently taught will be phased out, while admissions will take place at the Diplomatic Academy,” he said.

Under the adopted amendments, in addition to degree programs, the Diplomacy Academy will offer a “one-year professional qualification course” aimed at “familiarizing a person with the specifics of diplomatic service, acquiring professional knowledge and developing skills, as well as training and retraining a person in matters falling within the competence of the [Foreign] Ministry.”

Graduates would be eligible for appointment to diplomatic positions in accordance with rules approved under the Foreign Minister’s “administrative-legal act.” The Ministry of Foreign Affairs would oversee the academy and approve its charter.

According to the law’s explanatory note, the academy would be financed through the state budget, ministry allocations, grants, and “other revenues permitted by law.” The institution is expected to employ 46 people, with an annual payroll fund of GEL 1,093,350. Student admissions are planned to begin in 2027, with the academy expected to admit 70 bachelor’s students and 50 master’s students annually.

The law also designates the Foreign Minister, currently Maka Botchorishvili, as holding the country’s highest diplomatic position, allowing her to hold the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. Holding the highest diplomatic rank carries a monthly salarty supplement of GEL 1,360.

The idea of establishing a Diplomacy Academy was first announced during a government meeting on May 8, where Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the academy’s mission would be to “train highly qualified personnel for our diplomatic service, which is important for further strengthening our country’s foreign policy positions.”

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