UNM Chair Alleges Husband Was Abducted and Forced to Apologize to Ivanishvili's Son
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Tina Bokuchava, chairwoman of the United National Movement, claimed that her husband, Kote Ioseliani, was kidnapped and coerced into filming a video apology to Uta Ivanishvili, son of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Ioseliani's video, posted on social media on June 8, features a renewed apology for alleged comments he had made in 2018 about Uta Ivanishvili's sexuality. Bokuchava said the video was made under duress following a violent abduction, which she believes was intended to intimidate her.
"A statement from seven years ago, for which Kote had already apologized publicly, is being used as a cover. The real purpose is to threaten me," Bokuchava said at a press briefing.
She described the incident as involving five masked men who ambushed her husband at night, forced him into a vehicle, and took him to an unknown location. According to her, Ioseliani was held for eight hours, blindfolded, and threatened with harm to his children. The attackers reportedly detailed his family's daily routines, including the locations of his son's school and his twins' kindergarten.
Bokuchava said she was unable to reach her husband during the ordeal and believes the threats compelled him to record the second apology.
"I am not afraid. I will not be silent. I will fight to dismantle this violent and treacherous regime," she said, addressing Bidzina Ivanishvili and Interior Minister Gela Gelashvili directly.
In 2018, Ioseliani publicly referenced unverified rumors about Uta Ivanishvili's personal life, which he later apologized for, expressing regret for any offense caused.
The new video, released at 9:02 a.m. on June 8, includes a full retraction. "It was a lie," Ioseliani says in the clip. "I've never heard anything about Uta Ivanishvili's orientation. Certain circumstances led me to phrase the comment that way, and I genuinely regret it."
Another UNM member Khatia Dekanoidze said the incident resembled tactics used in authoritarian regimes. "This happens in Kadyrovshina, not a democracy," she wrote online, comparing the situation to forced confessions in Chechnya.
Ana Tsitlidze, UNM member, suggested the incident may be linked to efforts to pressure Bokuchava into reversing her party's boycott of the upcoming local elections.
"They couldn't bribe her, arrest her, or break her. So now they're targeting her through her family," Tsitlidze said on June 9.
