Ex-PM Garibashvili case should serve as warning to ruling party officials, opposition

Opposition politician Khatia Dekanoidze has described former Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili's case as a warning to officials within the ruling Georgian Dream party and its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Dekanoidze, one of the leaders of the United National Movement, said Garibashvili's recent letter and the legal case surrounding him demonstrated what she described as the consequences of loyalty to Ivanishvili.

"This should be a lesson for every official, for the Georgian Dream and Bidzina Ivanishvili's entire circle," Dekanoidze said.

She accused the ruling party of engaging in "anti-state activities" and said the case raised broader questions about how Ivanishvili treats political figures who have remained loyal to him.

"For me, and for citizens in general, one fact is particularly interesting: what Bidzina Ivanishvili is like, how he rewards and treats his very loyal servants. This should be a lesson for everyone," she said.

Dekanoidze also accused Georgian Dream of being deeply entrenched in what she described as political stagnation, saying the opposition had warned about this for years.

Former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili, who is currently in prison, said in a letter released from prison that he was placing full responsibility for his safety and that of his family on Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Georgian authorities.

Garibashvili has not publicly detailed in the quoted statement what specific threat prompted the warning.