Davit Kezerashvili

Davit Kezerashvili (born 22 September 1978) is a Jewish-Georgian-Israeli investor, entrepreneur and former Minister of Defense of Georgia under Mikheil Saakashvili's presidency from November 2006 to December 2008. Kezerashvili currently resides in the United Kingdom and is sentenced to imprisonment in Georgia for corruption charges that he has argued are politically motivated.

Early life and education Kezerashvili was born in Tbilisi to a Jewish family. After migrating to Russia, he went to Israel in 1992, where he lived with his grandmother in the Kiryat Ben-Gurion neighbourhood of Holon and attended high school. After a year and a half, he left Israel and returned to Georgia. He studied law and international relations at Tbilisi State University.

Career After working in the Ministry of Justice in Georgia, he became an assistant to Mikheil Saakashvili, the then Minister for Justice.

In 2002, Kezerashvili became involved in the newly established United National Movement (UNM) party, and contested in the 2003 Georgian parliamentary election under its banner. After the party rose to power in 2003, Kezerashvili worked in the Finance Ministry from 2004 until November 2006, including a role as chair of the financial police force. On 11 November 2006 he was appointed Defense Minister. Kezerashvili resigned as defense minister on 5 December 2008 during a major cabinet shuffle. His dismissal was expected in the aftermath of Georgia's defeat in the 2008 South Ossetia War. Kezerashvili was succeeded by former ambassador to the United States, Vasil Sikharulidze.

Conviction in Georgia

After the change of power in Georgia in 2012, the new government opened an investigation against Kezerashvili. He was alleged to have embezzled €5 million ($5.2 million) during his tenure as defense minister under the auspices of a combat training project.

The Georgian government has made repeated failed attempts to extradite Kezerashvili to Georgia. The Aix-en-Provence City Court ruled against his extradition and Kezerashvili was released in early 2014.

In 2016, the United Kingdom also refused to extradite Kezerashvili to Georgia.

It has been reported that the State Prosecutor's Office of Israel for Tax and Financial Crimes may also charge Kezerashvili for corruption.

In December 2024, Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) raided a call center it said was part of an international network that operating in Kezerashvili's interests. Officials allege the call center defrauded 100,000 people in 50 countries, including the European Union. The group's daily profits reportedly group’s reached $1 million a day, mainly through illegal investment scams.

Georgian politics and media

On 3 September 2019, Kezerashvili bought control packet of shares of TVFormula, a pro-opposition Georgian TV channel. He has also financially supported Girchi TV, operated by the opposition Girchi — More Freedom party. It was reported that he was linked to attempts to remove Nikanor Melia as Chair of the UNM. Melia accused Kezerashvili of attempting to gain "informal influence" over the party.