Georgian businessman Giorgi Chikvaidze declares second hunger strike in prison

Georgian businessman Giorgi Chikvaidze, founder of Ramses Yachting, has launched a second full hunger strike while in detention, his mother Eka Tsereteli announced via social media.

According to Tsereteli, Chikvaidze began the protest after authorities at Penitentiary Facility No. 18 denied her the ability to deliver home-cooked food—a critical issue for her son, who reportedly does not trust the penitentiary service due to fears of food poisoning. Until now, he had relied exclusively on food provided by his family.

“The Special Penitentiary Service had previously authorized food deliveries from family members, and this process had gone smoothly,” Tsereteli wrote. “But today, without any explanation, the prison refused to accept the food I brought. Neither the hotline nor the on-site parcel delivery service offered any answers.”

She emphasized that the refusal was not related to the weekend schedule, noting that food was accepted without issue the previous Saturday. Tsereteli said the Public Defender’s Office has been informed of the situation. She believes the hunger strike was triggered directly by the sudden ban on food deliveries.

Chikvaidze has been in pre-trial detention since March 11 and was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of large-scale group embezzlement by Judge Iza Kelenjeridze of the Tbilisi City Court. His business partner, Irakli Papiashvili, received an eight-year sentence. The case was based on a complaint from Elguja Turmanidze, the owner of ETS Building, who claimed Chikvaidze’s company accepted over €370,000 to deliver a yacht that was never received.

This is not Chikvaidze’s first hunger strike. After his arrest, he refused food for 30 days beginning March 12, which seriously affected his health and left him wheelchair-bound.

Chikvaidze, once a donor and supporter of the ruling Georgian Dream party, now claims to be a victim of political persecution. He alleges the charges are retaliation for exposing what he says is a covert operation by Georgian and Russian security services targeting senior American officials. In a May 5 post from detention, he stated that he had submitted documents related to this claim to the US Helsinki Commission.

Supporters describe him as a political prisoner, while Georgian authorities maintain the charges are purely criminal.