Irakli Okruashvili | |
---|---|
Chairman of Victorious Georgia | |
Assumed office June 2019 | |
Preceded by | position established |
Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development | |
In office 10 November 2006 – 17 November 2006 | |
Preceded by | Irakli Chogovadze |
Succeeded by | Giorgi Arveladze |
Minister of Defense of Georgia | |
In office 17 December 2004 – 10 November 2006 | |
Preceded by | Giorgi Baramidze |
Succeeded by | Davit Kezerashvili |
Minister of the Interior of Georgia | |
In office 7 June 2004 – 17 December 2004 | |
Preceded by | Giorgi Baramidze |
Succeeded by | Ivane Merabishvili |
Prosecutor General of Georgia | |
In office 14 January 2004 – 7 June 2004 | |
Preceded by | Nugzar Gabrichidze |
Succeeded by | Zurab Adeishvili |
Governor of Shida Kartli | |
In office November 2003 – 14 January 2004 | |
Member of the Tbilisi City Assembly | |
In office 2002 – November 2003 | |
Deputy Minister of Justice | |
In office 2000–2001 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Tskhinvali, South Ossetian AO, Georgian SSR, USSR | 6 November 1973
Political party | Victorious Georgia (2019–present) Movement for United Georgia (2007–2010) United National Movement (until 2006) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Ukraine |
Branch/service | International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine |
Years of service | 2022–present |
Battles/wars | |
Irakli Okruashvili (Georgian: ირაკლი ოქრუაშვილი) (born 6 November 1973) is a Georgian politician who had served on various important posts in the Government of Georgia under President Mikheil Saakashvili, including being the Minister of Defense from December 2004 until being dismissed in November 2006.
In September 2007, Okruashvili staged a public comeback to Georgian politics, openly confronting Mikheil Saakashvili and creating the opposition party Movement for United Georgia. On September 27, 2007, Okruashvili was briefly arrested at his party headquarters on the charges of corruption, money laundering, and abuse of office.[1] In 2007 he left Georgia and was granted political asylum in France. He was sentenced to 11-year prison term in Georgia in absentia in March 2008. In October 2010, he, remaining in France, joined Sozar Subari, Levan Gachechiladze and Erosi Kitsmarishvili in the new Georgian Party.[2]
Okruashvili was sentenced to five years in prison for allegedly participating in group violence in anti-government rallies organized in June 2019.[3] However, President Salome Zourabichvili pardoned him, alongside Gigi Ugulava, on May 15, 2020.[4]
On March 8, 2022 the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence stated that Okruashvili had arrived in Ukraine, together with other Georgian volunteers, in order to fight against the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[5]