Court of Appeals Upholds 11-Year Prison Sentence for Former Co-Investment Fund Director Giorgi Bachiashvili
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, August 13, 2025
The Court of Appeals has upheld the Tbilisi City Court's decision sentencing Giorgi Bachiashvili, former General Director of the Co-Investment Fund, to 11 years in prison for misappropriation of cryptocurrency linked to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the Georgian Dream party.
Bachiashvili was found guilty on two counts: misappropriation of a large sum of money and legalization of illegal income. For the misappropriation charge, he received a 10-year sentence, while the charge of legalization of illegal income carried an 11-year term. The longer sentence was applied, resulting in a final prison term of 11 years.
He was charged under Article 182(3)(b) and Article 194(3)(c) of the Criminal Code, which pertain to the illegal acquisition and possession of a large amount of money and the legalization of illegally obtained income involving especially large sums.
The case centers around accusations that Bachiashvili misappropriated cryptocurrency assets belonging to Ivanishvili, a powerful businessman and political figure closely associated with the Georgian Dream party.
Following the appeals court's ruling, Bachiashvili's lawyer, David Jandieri, criticized the decision sharply on social media. He described the court's verdict as a confirmation of the political control exerted over Georgia's judiciary.
"Today's verdict by the Court of Appeals in Giorgi Bachiashvili's case once again confirmed that the judiciary in Georgia is fully politically controlled and has been turned into a submissive tool of the government," Jandieri wrote. "This was not a legal process; it was another stage of political repression disguised as a formality."
Jandieri accused the government of using the courts to carry out personal vendettas and to target political opponents. "Giorgi's case is a clear example of how the government uses the judiciary for personal vendettas and to destroy political opponents," he added.
He said the fight over Bachiashvili's case would not end with the appeals court decision but would instead enter a new phase, continuing both inside Georgia and in international legal and democratic forums.
"We will continue the fight both within the country and beyond, with democratic partners, to ensure this injustice does not persist," Jandieri wrote. "This fight will not end with today's decision; on the contrary, it is moving to a new phase and will continue in international forums in the future."
