Ex-President Zourabichvili slams verbal attack on German Ambassador as "insult to Georgia"

Former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has strongly condemned the recent verbal attack on German Ambassador Peter Fischer and his wife by a Georgian citizen, calling it an insult not to the ambassador personally, but to the entire country.

“I want to respond to the incident that took place in Batumi involving the German Ambassador and his wife. Both were insulted. I believe this is more of an insult to our country, Georgia,” Zourabichvili said.

According to her, the ambassador and his wife were verbally abused by Valeri Kochiashvili, a former serviceman known for his provocative social media presence. The incident occurred on May 18 in a Batumi restaurant, where Kochiashvili confronted the ambassador and later posted videos on TikTok boasting about the altercation.

Zourabichvili emphasized Germany’s longstanding support for Georgia over the past three decades. “Germany is the country that has helped us in every direction. Even those currently in power—many of them studied in German universities. Germany supported us and played a decisive role when we received EU candidate status. There is no integration process without Germany.”

She also thanked the local people who stood up for the ambassador during the incident. “We have friends in Europe who help us, and I know that a large part of Georgian society supports and values that. The ambassador himself told me today, when we met, that while he was being insulted, many ordinary people—members of the public—spoke out and expressed their support and respect for him and his wife. I want to personally thank them,” she said.

The German Embassy in Tbilisi confirmed the incident, stating: “The Embassy confirms the incident and thanks those Georgians who witnessed it and supported the Ambassador as a guest in their city. After being confronted by surrounding Georgians about his unacceptable behavior, Mr. Kochiashvili quickly left the scene. Police were not present.”

The video of the incident was first circulated by the TV channel POSTV, often labelled as pro-governmental. In it, Kochiashvili proudly claims he insulted the ambassador. Additional footage shows him being expelled from the restaurant for causing a disturbance. Kochiashvili has been vocal on TikTok, often criticizing opposition figures in Georgia.