Georgian police raid homes of former officials including ex-prime minister | Government News

Georgian Police Launch Dramatic Raids on Former Officials’ Homes, Including Ex-Prime Minister


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Georgia’s authorities intensify efforts against individuals suspected of plotting to destabilize the government.

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Law enforcement agencies in Georgia have recently executed search operations at the residences of three former high-ranking officials amid a broader crackdown on individuals suspected of attempting to destabilize the government.

According to a statement released on Friday by the office of the prosecutor general, the searches targeted Irakli Garibashvili, who has served twice as prime minister; Grigol Liluashvili, the former head of internal security; and Otar Partskhaladze, a previous prosecutor general.

These individuals are known to be close confidants of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire ex-prime minister and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, who is widely regarded as the country’s true power broker.

For several months, the Georgian government has intensified its suppression of opposition groups, detaining prominent pro-European Union activists. However, until now, those closely linked to the ruling party had largely remained untouched.

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Since last October, Georgia has been engulfed in political turmoil following parliamentary elections won by Georgian Dream, which the opposition vehemently claims were fraudulent.

Chief Prosecutor Giorgi Gvarakidze informed the press in Tbilisi that anticorruption units and security forces simultaneously conducted raids at 22 different sites.

“We confiscated substantial amounts of cash, numerous documents, and various electronic devices,” Gvarakidze stated. While he confirmed that these actions are part of multiple ongoing criminal probes, he refrained from revealing specific charges or whether any detentions had occurred.

Authorities reported that since a major demonstration two weeks ago, 62 individuals have been taken into custody.

Notably, Partskhaladze holds dual citizenship with Georgia and Russia and was recently sanctioned by the United Kingdom due to his connections with Moscow.

Garibashvili, who led the government from 2021 until 2024, has been a key figure in steering Georgia’s policy away from the West, especially after the full-scale conflict erupted in Ukraine. In a May 2023 address in Bratislava, he controversially blamed NATO’s expansion for provoking Russia’s invasion.

Historically, Georgia, which endured a brief war with Russia in 2008, was among the most pro-Western nations emerging from the Soviet Union’s collapse, with strong ambitions to join the European Union.

Ahead of this month’s municipal elections, the Georgian Dream party accused the EU ambassador of endorsing an attempted coup, a claim that Brussels dismissed as misinformation.

The ruling party faces ongoing criticism for undermining democratic principles, gravitating towards Russia, and obstructing Georgia’s constitutional goal of EU membership-allegations that Georgian Dream consistently denies.


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