The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.comThe 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 “diversionary 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. Up to 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 diversionary 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 diversionary 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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Georgian schoolchildren join Russian project
The Russian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Georgia said that Georgian schoolchildren had taken part in the anniversary edition of the Memory Train project, organised by Russia and Belarus and dedicated to the Soviet interpretation of the Second World War and the historical narrative of the Great Patriotic War.
According to the Russian Interests Section, secondary school students from Georgia joined peers from other countries on an educational tour that took them to 13 cities across Belarus and Russia.
The anniversary edition of the project concluded in Minsk, while the official programme began at the Brest Fortress. According to the organisers, the site holds symbolic significance within the Soviet historical narrative as the place where the Great Patriotic War began.
They also said that one of the students from Tbilisi placed a plaque bearing the symbol of Minsk on a commemorative display, describing it as a sign of “the unity of peoples and a shared historical memory”.
The participation of Georgian schoolchildren in the project was also commented on by Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of Russia’s Federation Council. Speaking to Sputnik Georgia, he said Georgian participants had been taking part in the Memory Train project for several years.
“We are very pleased that Georgian representatives have been taking part in the Memory Train for many years. Young people who complete this journey become ambassadors of goodwill. I am confident they will be able to achieve what we may not have managed to do: restore and strengthen our relations, making them genuinely friendly, because that is what we all want,” Kosachev said.
The project was also endorsed by Alexander Lukyanov, a member of the Standing Commission on International Affairs and National Security of the Council of the Republic of Belarus’ National Assembly. Speaking to Sputnik Georgia, he said Georgian soldiers had made a significant contribution to the liberation of Belarus.
“We are proud that our homeland was liberated not only by Russians and Belarusians, but by the entire multinational Soviet people, with our Georgian brothers at the forefront. Operation Bagration, which effectively marked the culmination of the great victory and the liberation of our homeland, remains of fundamental importance to our country,” Lukyanov said.
Memory Train is a joint cultural and educational initiative launched by Russia and Belarus in 2022.
According to its organisers, the project’s aims are to:
The project begins each year on 21-22 June, marking the anniversary of Nazi Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union, at the Brest Fortress. Participants travel by a specially chartered train through cities in Belarus and Russia, visiting war memorials, museums and sites associated with the Soviet war effort. The route covered 15 cities in 2022 and has included 13 cities in recent years.
Georgian schoolchildren join Russian project
