Argentina has extradited Giorgi Khatiashvili to Georgia, where he is accused of leading a transnational criminal group that allegedly earned millions by fabricating asylum claims for Georgian nationals seeking refuge in the United States, Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has said.
According to investigators, the group helped Georgian citizens remain abroad illegally and arranged for false information to be submitted to US immigration authorities, News Georgia reports.
Khatiashvili and his alleged accomplices reportedly invented stories claiming that applicants had faced persecution in Georgia for various reasons, including their political beliefs, sexual orientation or pressure from law enforcement agencies. They then produced forged official documents intended to support the claims.
According to the prosecutor’s office, more than 1,000 people used the group’s services between 2023 and 2026. During that period, the alleged participants collected around 600,000 Georgian lari, $2.25 million and 12,500 from clients.
The investigation was launched amid the tightening of US immigration policy under President Donald Trump. Georgian authorities conducted the investigation in cooperation with the US Embassy’s Regional Security Office, with the participation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Nine people have been charged in connection with the case. One suspect was previously extradited to Georgia from Germany.
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