For Georgia opposition leader, ex-PM Gakharia attacked, opposition alleges political motives

Former Prime Minister and opposition leader Giorgi Gakharia has suffered an attack “orchestrated by representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party”, Natia Mezvrishvili, a member of his For Georgia party claimed on Wednesday.

The incident occurred last night at the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi, western Georgia, where Gakharia was attending events to support youth members of his party, amid ongoing protests in the country against the Government’s decision last year to halt EU accession talks until 2028.

Gakharia sustained a fractured nasal bone and a concussion in the attack, which his party described as “a coordinated, group, brutal attack orchestrated by the [ruling party founder and Honorary Chair Bidzina] Ivanishvili regime”.

In a post on X, the party called for “an immediate and thorough investigation” and demanded accountability for all involved.

The attackers, identified as Georgian Dream representatives Dimitri Samkharadze and Giorgi Manvelidze, allegedly targeted Gakharia following earlier assaults on journalist Zviad Koridze of Transparency International Georgia.

Both incidents have sparked outrage among opposition figures, civil society, and international observers.

Gakharia addressed supporters on Facebook, assuring them of his recovery while redirecting focus to “illegal prisoners” detained during the protests and ongoing struggles for a new parliamentary election.
Gakharia served as Georgia’s Prime Minister from 2019 to 2021 under the Georgian Dream government before founding the opposition party For Georgia.

His party crossed the five percent electoral threshold in the contested October 2024 parliamentary elections, which all opposition parties securing seats in the state legislature had deemed fraudulent.

This attack follows heightened political tensions in Georgia, with opposition groups decrying the ruling party’s alleged use of violence and intimidation tactics. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation under Article 126 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to violence.

The attack has drawn sharp condemnation both domestically and internationally

Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the Strong Georgia opposition coalition, called the assault a manifestation of the “criminal Russian government’s” tactics, pledging justice for the perpetrators.

Gigi Ugulava, an opposition politician, extended solidarity to Gakharia, emphasizing the need for unity against what he termed “Russian zombies”.

Mikhail Roth, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the German Bundestag, expressed deep concern, urging swift accountability to protect critical voices in Georgia.

Georgia’s Public Defender Levan Ioseliani has also urged authorities to expedite investigations into the attacks on both Gakharia and Koridze.