Ex-Ivanishvili aide Giorgi Bachiashvili detained in UAE during meeting with lawyer - Guardian

Giorgi Bachiashvili, a former close associate of Georgian billionaire and ex-Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, has been detained in the United Arab Emirates and deported to Georgia under circumstances his legal team describes as politically motivated and deeply concerning.

According to The Guardian, Bachiashvili was arrested in the lobby of a hotel in Abu Dhabi, where he had arranged to meet a local lawyer. Friends say he was apprehended by a group of eight local police officers and quickly transported to a police station before being placed on a flight to Tbilisi.

Bachiashvili, 39, fled Georgia earlier this year after being convicted in absentia of embezzling nearly $43 million from a cryptocurrency investment allegedly tied to Ivanishvili. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison. The case was launched in 2023 after a complaint by Ivanishvili, founder of Georgia’s Co-Investment Fund and the ruling Georgian Dream party’s honorary chair.

While in hiding, Bachiashvili publicly accused Ivanishvili of undermining Georgia’s democratic future and aligning the country with Russia to maintain control. He warned that Ivanishvili had become a liability for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations, particularly after it became clear that the EU would not accept Georgia under his shadow rule.

Robert Amsterdam, a US-Canadian human rights lawyer representing Bachiashvili, condemned the arrest, calling it a clear case of abuse of international legal cooperation. “We were caught completely off guard. He had trusted local counsel,” Amsterdam said, adding that his client now faces a “serious risk of torture” in Georgia.

Georgian authorities have confirmed Bachiashvili’s arrest, stating that he was detained near the so-called Green Border between Tsiteli Khidi and Sadakhlo based on an anonymous tip. He also faces charges of illegal border crossing and alleged misconduct related to the Mtkvari HPP hydroelectric project during his leadership of the Co-Investment Fund.

Bachiashvili holds dual citizenship of Georgia and Russia. His lawyers insist the charges are politically driven, aimed at silencing a former insider who has turned into a vocal critic of the country’s de facto ruler.

Ivanishvili, under US sanctions for actions described as undermining democracy and repressing dissent in Georgia, served briefly as prime minister from 2012 to 2013 but is widely seen as wielding substantial influence over the current government. His legal representatives have denied all allegations of political persecution.