Georgia’s State Security Service says it uncovers alleged plot to assassinate Ivanishvili

Georgia’s State Security Service has announced the discovery of an alleged plot to assassinate Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and  honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party. The information, released through official channels on Tuesday, was based on an undisclosed source and came ahead of the October general elections. 

In a statement, the agency reported, “the purpose of the mentioned criminal actions is to violently overthrow the state government by destructive forces in the background of creating disorder and weakening the government.”

The investigation is proceeding under the articles of the Criminal Code, which pertain to the preparation and organization of a serious crime against the state. SSS is probing the alleged preparation and financing of Ivanishvili’s assassination by former high-ranking officials of the Georgian government currently serving in Ukraine. 

The announcement followed reports by local Government-lined TV channels Rustavi 2, Imedi, and Pos TV, which said that SSS had been questioning Georgians fighting in Ukraine over the past few days. 

These channels suggested that the questioning was related to an investigation into a terrorist act being planned against Ivanishvili.Government-affiliated media outlets have further interpreted this development as part of SSS’s broader investigation into a potential terrorist act. This narrative was supported by interviews with a Georgian fighter in Ukraine and his lawyer, Mikheil Ramishvili, who has rejected the information by saying “it is absurd to release information on an alleged terrorist act based on me”.