Giorgi Gakharia, the former Prime Minister of Georgia who currently chairs the opposition For Georgia party, on Monday accused the Georgian Dream authorities of waging a hybrid war against own citizens, in response to the entry of a cruise ship in the country’s Black Sea City of Batumi earlier that day boarding Russian citizens. 

In his social media post, Gakharia who took top positions under the GD Government, accused the latter of operating a “fake propaganda” over Georgia’s “dragging” into the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict by the west and attempts to “take away the national identity”, which he claimed were “well-known methods” of the Kremlin. 

He stressed the entry of the Astoria Grande in Batumi for the second time on the backdrop of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine - with 23 demonstrators arrested protesting its entry in Batumi port for disobeying police and petty hooliganism - was a “deliberate violation” of the domestic law on occupied territories and meant a “hybrid war” against own citizens. 

“The Government, which does not respect the memory of the heroes who died for freedom, will surely pay the price!", Gakharia said. 

Gakharia left the ruling party and resigned as the country’s PM in early 2021 over plans to arrest an opposition leader Nika Melia, claiming the move could cause "political escalation" in the country. 

Following the move, Gakharia who had been praised many times by GD officials for professionalism and “saving the country” from an alleged coup by the opposition United National Movement, has been demonized by former allies, accusing him of cooperation with the UNM.