Prepared by Messenger Staff
Zourabichvili Condemns Raids on Fund Managers, Says Regime Facing Internal Collapse
The 5th President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili has delivered a scathing critique of the current government, condemning recent searches conducted at the homes of several fund managers as symptomatic of an increasingly repressive and unstable regime.
Speaking at a briefing, Zourabichvili described the raids as "completely unthinkable in a normal country," asserting that Georgia no longer meets the standards of democratic governance. "These repressions in all aspects that have been carried out in recent months are an indicator that the regime is actually unable to cope with the situation and is only trying to consolidate itself through this," she said.
Zourabichvili argued that internal instability is growing within the ruling elite. "Fluctuations relating to the regime continue and are getting stronger. People are leaving, including those from the innermost circle," Zourabichvili noted, suggesting that the gradual departure of key figures is a classic sign of a regime approaching collapse.
The President also emphasized the significance of international sanctions, stating that their most serious impact is on those closest to the center of power-individuals with significant financial resources. "The first person, with his enormous wealth, is isolated and can no longer benefit from these finances," she said, in a clear reference to billionaire ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, without naming him directly.
Bokuchava Urges Europe to Sanction Ivanishvili at EPP Congress
At the European People's Party (EPP) Congress, Tina Bokuchava, Chairwoman of Unity - National Movement, delivered a speech condemning "Kremlin-backed repression" in Georgia and calling for targeted European sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili and his allies.
Bokuchava began her address with a reminder: one seat in the Georgian delegation remained empty, the seat of former President Mikheil Saakashvili. "A man who stood up to Putin in 2008, who did not surrender Georgia's sovereignty," she said. "For that courage, he is now in his fourth year in political prison under a Russian-backed regime."
She warned that while Vladimir Putin wages a conventional war in Ukraine, Georgia is facing a hybrid assault. Citing widespread protests sparked by the government's suspension of EU integration, announced after what she called "fraudulent elections", Bokuchava detailed a harsh crackdown by the ruling regime, including arrests, violence, home raids, and what she described as torture of detainees.
Despite 153 consecutive days of protests, Bokuchava emphasized the Georgian people's determination to remain on a European path, stating, "The heart of Europe still beats in Tbilisi." She called on Europe to act decisively, stressing that "in the Georgian context, action means sanctions" specifically against Ivanishvili and his allies.
"Putinist regimes thrive on complacency and division," Bokuchava warned. "Europe must lead with unity and decisive action."
