Two Arrested Over Drugs in Investigation Into Death of Abkhaz Blogger
By Messenger Staff
Monday, August 31, 2026
Two people have been arrested in Tbilisi in connection with drugs that investigators say were used by Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava before his death, Georgia's Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
The arrests came as police expanded their investigation into Buava's death. Searches of two homes in the Georgian capital led to the seizure of marijuana and methadone, packed into 10 separate packets, the ministry said.
Investigators said the two suspects knew both Buava and the woman who was with him shortly before he died. One suspect is accused of giving the woman drugs for free.
The ministry said the woman took the drugs together with Buava and later left him in a life-threatening state without seeking help.
"She used the narcotic substance with Daur Buava and then left him in a life-threatening condition without approaching anyone for help," the ministry said.
The woman, a foreign national, was arrested a day earlier over allegations that she abandoned Buava in a "critical" condition at a Tbilisi apartment after taking drugs with him. Buava's lawyer, Natia Mezvrishvili, said she was a Ukrainian citizen.
Mezvrishvili said Buava's friends and defense team disputed the idea that his death was caused by drugs. They plan to arrange another forensic examination, she said.
Buava was found dead in his apartment on August 27 after neighbors were alerted by a strong smell. The Interior Ministry said an initial examination of his body showed no signs of violence. He was reportedly believed to have died several days before his body was discovered.
Buava was widely known on TikTok as Tarielovich and had more than 100,000 followers. Born in Tkvarcheli in Abkhazia, he moved to Georgian-controlled territory in 2021 and was granted Georgian citizenship under a simplified procedure in 2022.
His videos often focused on relations between Abkhaz and Georgians and promoted friendship between the two communities.
Buava had also faced scrutiny from Abkhazia's de facto authorities. In 2022, the region's security service charged him with high treason, accusing him of posting videos containing "direct and latent appeals to an unlimited circle of users aimed at damaging sovereignty, territorial integrity, national security and defense capacity."
