Ex-Pres Zourabichvili: Georgia being ruled through fear

Georgia’s fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, has accused the country’s authorities of ruling through fear and following what she described as a “Russian path”, following the arrest of former State Security Service head Grigol Liluashvili.

In a post on social media, Zourabichvili said the detention marked a further escalation of what she characterised as political repression in Georgia.

“There is terror in Georgia, Russian-style governance in Georgia,” she wrote. “The former head of the State Security Service, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s right-hand man, was arrested this morning. Two former prime ministers are under investigation, a former defence minister and a former deputy economy minister are in prison. Governance through fear, the Russian way.”

Her comments came after prosecutors confirmed the arrest of Liluashvili earlier in the day.

According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, Liluashvili has been charged under Article 338 of the Georgian Criminal Code with accepting particularly large bribes as part of an organised group. The charges carry a potential sentence of 11 to 15 years in prison if convicted.