Competent authorities of the United Kingdom have granted the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia regarding the extradition to Georgia of a convicted person wanted for the rape of a minor.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, on February 15, 2024, the Tbilisi City Court fully accepted the evidence presented by the prosecution and found the accused guilty of raping a minor. An investigation conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, supported by evidence presented by the prosecution in court, confirmed that between 2006 and 2013, the convicted individual - taking advantage of the victim's helpless state - systematically raped his niece, who was under the age of fourteen at the time.

The accused evaded investigative authorities; charges were brought against him in absentia under Article 137, Part 5 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (rape—specifically, sexual intercourse involving the exploitation of the victim's helpless state, committed against a person under the age of fourteen; based on the version of the law in effect prior to December 30, 2013). He was ordered to be detained pending trial and was declared a wanted person.

The Tbilisi City Court found the accused fully guilty of the charges and sentenced him to 20 years of imprisonment.

The convicted individual, who had been sought by the competent authorities of Georgia, was arrested by law enforcement officers in London on October 22, 2024.

"The competent authorities of the United Kingdom granted the request of the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia for the extradition of the wanted convict to Georgia," reads the statement.