Vice-Speaker Tsulukiani calls national hero Antsukhelidze “sacrificed for someone’s PR”

Vice Speaker of Georgia’s parliament, Tea Tsulukiani from the ruling Georgian Dream party, has caused public outcry after referring to Georgia’s national hero, Giorgi Antsukhelidze, as someone who was “senselessly sacrificed for someone’s PR.” Tsulukiani was implying former President Mikheil Saakashvili in her remarks.

Speaking on Georgia’s Public Broadcaster about the August 2008 war, Tsulukiani mentioned Antsukhelidze twice within five minutes. Initially, she praised the Georgian Dream for defending his dignity at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), where, she claimed, it was officially recorded that Antsukhelidze was tortured and killed by occupying forces alongside separatists. But moments later, she made the controversial statement implying that his death served a PR purpose for the former president.

“Today, cowards and irresponsible saboteurs are hiding behind Antsukhelidze’s name. It was us who defended his dignity in Strasbourg,” she said. “Why does everyone forget that Antsukhelidze wasn’t alone? Kakha Khubuluri and Shmagi Sopromadze were there too. We defended their honor legally, against Russia.”

Tsulukiani added that the newly formed parliamentary investigative commission, which she leads, aims to examine the decisions made by Saakashvili and other key officials like Davit Kezerashvili, Vano Merabishvili, and his deputy Data Janashia. She questioned why Antsukhelidze wasn’t saved, stating that every child needs a parent at home, not someone “senselessly sacrificed for someone’s PR.”

She further accused high-ranking military officials, particularly Zaza Gogava, then-head of the Joint Staff, of failing to act during the war. “When a general speaks as if he won a war but can’t answer why civilians weren’t evacuated—was he instructed not to? I suspect he was. I believe Saakashvili needed that tragedy for PR, to stand at a podium and show the world how evil Russia is.”

The temporary investigative commission, set up by the ruling party, was initially tasked with reviewing events from 2003 to 2012 but later expanded its mandate to cover the period from 2012 to the present day.