Born in the village of Khovle (Kaspi district), Kurashvili began his career in the Soviet military in 1968 and retired with the rank of a colonel in February 1992.
He took part in the War in Abkhazia (1992–93), where he commanded the Gumista front and was promoted, in July 1993, to the rank of major general in recognition of his success in defending Sukhumi.
[3] The Georgian authorities claimed that former security minister, Igor Giorgadze, wanted for involvement in the failed 1995 assassination attempt against Shevardnadze, was behind the plot.
[4] In November 2001, Kurashvili and former members of National Security Ministry's Alpha special unit, Archil Panjikidze and Kakhaber Kantaria, were found guilty of plotting the overthrow of the constitutional order and each sentenced to three years in prison.
[5] Kurashvili denied the involvement, claiming that the charges were trumped-up to get rid of the witness of the "treacherous mistakes" of the Georgian leadership in the conflict of Abkhazia.