Thousands of people believed to be linked to Islamic State militants have been held at Roj and a second camp, al-Hol, since it was driven from its final territorial foothold in Syria in 2019.
Day: February 18, 2026
Giorgi Bachiashvili, a former associate of Georgian Dream founder and billionaire Honorary Chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili, was unexpectedly released from prison, his lawyer confirmed to several media outlets. Bachiashvili had been sentenced in March 2025 to 11 years for embezzling a large sum of cryptocurrency from Ivanishvili and laundering the funds.
He was arrested in May following what he said was his abduction from abroad involving then State Security Service head Anri Okhanashvili. The alleged abduction followed his escape from Georgia in March, when Bachiashvili cited “credible information” suggesting his life would be in danger if imprisoned.
More to follow…
The post Ivanishvili’s Ex-Associate Giorgi Bachiashvili Suddenly Released from Prison first appeared on The South Caucasus News – SouthCaucasusNews.com.
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 post 15 Arrested in Brawls Outside Tbilisi Court During Jangveladze Murder Case Hearing first appeared on The South Caucasus News – SouthCaucasusNews.com.
The post 15 Arrested in Brawls Outside Tbilisi Court During Jangveladze Murder Case Hearing first appeared on The World Web Times – worldwebtimes.com.
The post 15 Arrested in Brawls Outside Tbilisi Court During Jangveladze Murder Case Hearing first appeared on The World Web Times – worldwebtimes.com.
The post 15 Arrested in Brawls Outside Tbilisi Court During Jangveladze Murder Case Hearing first appeared on October Surprise 2016 – octobersurprise2016.org.
🚨⚡️ BREAKING AND UNUSUAL
In a dramatic and surprising development, and just before heading to the airport, the head of the Russian delegation, Medinsky, returned to hold a “closed and secret” meeting lasting two hours at the InterContinental Hotel in Geneva with the Ukrainian… pic.twitter.com/06xJt58V8f
— RussiaNews 🇷🇺 (@mog_russEN) 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 post 15 Arrested in Brawls Outside Tbilisi Court During Jangveladze Murder Case Hearing first appeared on The South Caucasus News – SouthCaucasusNews.com.
The post 15 Arrested in Brawls Outside Tbilisi Court During Jangveladze Murder Case Hearing first appeared on The World Web Times – worldwebtimes.com.
The post 15 Arrested in Brawls Outside Tbilisi Court During Jangveladze Murder Case Hearing first appeared on The World Web Times – worldwebtimes.com.
A total of 276 boxers from 60 teams have participated in the U-19 Azerbaijan Championship, AzerNEWS reports.
The post Young boxers rise to top at national championship first appeared on The South Caucasus News – SouthCaucasusNews.com.
The post Young boxers rise to top at national championship first appeared on The World Web Times – worldwebtimes.com.
The post Young boxers rise to top at national championship first appeared on The World Web Times – worldwebtimes.com.
The post Young boxers rise to top at national championship first appeared on The World Web Times – worldwebtimes.com.
