UNM’s Nadiradze urges mass turnout on Oct. 4: ‘if any voice is silenced, it will be Ivanishvili’s’

Irakli Nadiradze from the United National Movement on Tuesday called on supporters to gather in large numbers at 16:00 on October 4, saying the detention and communication restrictions placed on the party’s Political Council chair Levan Khabeishvili showed the ruling party’s fear - and warning that any successful effort to silence dissent would amount to a victory for what he called “Boria Ivanishvili” and the “Russian Dream.”

“The Russian oligarch Boria Ivanishvili has forbidden Levan Khabeishvili any communication and is trying to muffle his voice. Levan is in prison for his passionate, truthful words — but his voice can never be silenced. On October 4 at 4 p.m. we must all gather together. If anyone’s voice is silenced, it will be Boria Ivanishvili’s”, he said.

"The only voice Ivanishvili will hear on the evening of the 4th will be the voice of the victorious Georgian people. And finally I want to say once more: regarding the words spoken at Khabeishvili’s arrest — 'if one person can bring about a peaceful revolution; if the Russian oligarch Boria Ivanishvili is so afraid of one person, imagine how afraid he is of you: hundreds of thousands of enraged, patriotic, righteous, passionate Georgians'," he added.

Khabeishvili was arrested earlier this week and is facing charges related to allegedly promising money to public servants; he has denied wrongdoing and his lawyers have appealed his pretrial detention. The opposition has vowed nationwide rallies around the October 4 local elections, saying the vote will be a turning point for the country.