In the murder case of the young teacher, Giga Avaliani, in the Sea District settlement, the Prosecutor’s Office has released a statement.

According to the agency, the defendants, Aleksandre Gabashvili and Giorgi Rikadze, followed Avaliani out of jealousy over Gabashvili’s girlfriend communicating with him. As they approached him, Gabashvili punched Avaliani in the forehead area, causing Avaliani to fall and lose consciousness.

The Prosecutor’s Office also states that after the incident, the defendants fled. Additionally, according to the statement, Giorgi Rikadze was recording the confrontation on his phone.

“Due to high public interest, we would like to provide information to the public about the case of the deprivation of life of Giga Avaliani as a result of severe bodily injury in Tbilisi, in the Sea District settlement.

The investigation carried out by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia established that on October 1, 2025, at 22:15, the minors Aleksandre Gabashvili and Giorgi Rikadze, due to jealousy over communication between Avaliani and Gabashvili’s girlfriend, followed Giga Avaliani after he left the training center located in Tbilisi, Sea District Settlement, 3rd Micro-District, 5th Block, Building No. 25. After walking approximately 800 meters, at 22:20, Aleksandre Gabashvili approached Giga Avaliani and, as soon as Avaliani turned around, punched him in the forehead, while his companion, Giorgi Rikadze, was recording the incident on his phone. Immediately after the punch, Giga Avaliani fell and lost consciousness, and the defendants fled the scene.

These factual circumstances are captured in the video recordings from Giorgi Rikadze’s phone and from surveillance cameras installed in the surrounding area, which also show the defendants fleeing the scene after committing the crime, and their conversation can be heard.

After this, the defendants left the area by taxi. The taxi driver has also been questioned and recalls in detail the conversation between the defendants regarding the committed crime.

Twenty-three days after the criminal incident, on October 24, 2025, Giga Avaliani died in a medical facility from the injuries he sustained.

According to the medical examination, the cause of Giga Avaliani’s death was a closed blunt head trauma, with a complete fracture of the right frontal bone.

Aleksandre Gabashvili has been charged under Article 117, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (intentional infliction of severe bodily harm resulting in death), which carries a penalty of up to 8 years of imprisonment.

Giorgi Rikadze has been charged under Article 376, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (failure to report a crime by someone who certainly knows that a serious crime is being prepared or has been committed), which carries a penalty of up to 6 years of imprisonment.

Both defendants have been placed in pre-trial detention at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office.

In recent days, questions have been raised as to why several other individuals have not been additionally detained in this case. We explain to the public that these individuals were not present at the scene at all, which is indisputably confirmed by the existing video recordings.

We also clarify that a separate case has been initiated, on which the investigation continues at the Ministry of Internal Affairs under the supervision of the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, and if grounds for the responsibility of any other person emerge—whether it concerns organizing the crime or any other criminal involvement—the prosecution will naturally take the appropriate legal mesures,” the statement reads.