Former Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili accuses Ivanishvili of blackmail
Former PM accuses Ivanishvili of blackmail
Jailed former Georgian prime minister Irakli Garibashvili has accused Georgian Dream honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili and the current government of blackmail.
In a statement released from prison on 17 August 2026, the former prime minister claimed he was being pressured to plead guilty to new corruption charges and permanently withdraw from politics at Ivanishvili’s demand. It is the first time that a former close ally of Ivanishvili has openly spoken out against the founder of the ruling party.
Plea deal ultimatum and plan to quit politics
A photograph of a printed letter dated 17 August was posted on the Facebook pages of Garibashvili and his wife, Nunuka Tamazashvili. Only four paragraphs of the letter were made public. It is unclear who wrote the letter or how it was delivered.
According to the published document, the government is offering the former prime minister a compromise. Under the proposed terms, Garibashvili would have to plead guilty to a new corruption-related charge.
The letter sets out the proposal in detail:
“They are offering me the option of pleading guilty in one case, where everything would be arranged by agreement, including a confession, witness signatures and so on. They are offering a plea bargain while retaining the same five-year sentence: that is, as it has been explained to me, the sentences would be combined, but the final term would remain five years.”
According to the document, a corruption conviction would serve as a form of “insurance” for the government, aimed at preventing the former prime minister from returning to politics in the future.
Two options and a political condition
The published letter refers to investigations into several cases. Its author suggests that these could result in corruption charges.
The text outlines two possible courses of action for Garibashvili. The first would involve continuing to contest the case in court.
“Let’s discuss this seriously and see it through to the end,” the document says.
The second option is presented as a compromise. According to the letter, Garibashvili would plead guilty in one of the cases, with the details agreed in advance:
“Let’s plead guilty in one case, where everything will be arranged by agreement: a confession, witness signatures and so on.”
The document also says that a new plea deal would not increase the five-year prison sentence already imposed on Garibashvili. The sentences would be combined, leaving the overall term unchanged at five years.
However, the proposal comes with a political condition.
“After leaving, you cannot engage in politics. If it is decided to ‘renege on the agreements’, then the corruption charges that will be brought will serve as an insurance mechanism, preventing even the thought of returning to politics,” the document says.
The authenticity of the letter has not been independently verified, and its author remains unknown. There is also no confirmation that new cases are in fact being prepared against Garibashvili.
Garibashvili’s first open confrontation with Ivanishvili
This marks Irakli Garibashvili’s first public confrontation with Bidzina Ivanishvili. For many years, Garibashvili was regarded as one of his most loyal political allies.
He served twice as Georgia’s prime minister, first from 2013 to 2015 and again from 2021 to 2024.
Garibashvili was sentenced under a plea agreement reached on 12 January 2026. He was given a five-year prison term and fined one million lari. Two cars and $6.5m were also confiscated from him.
The case concerned the laundering of illicit proceeds on an especially large scale. Garibashvili is currently serving his sentence in a prison in Rustavi.
The new statement means that the former prime minister himself is now linking possible further legal action against him to demands that he stay out of politics. However, the material made public so far presents only Garibashvili’s version of events.
Response from MP Irma Inashvili, named in letter
The letter published by Garibashvili mentions MP Irma Inashvili and Dito Chubinidze. According to the text, they — along with “supporters like them” and campaigns on social media — have raised suspicions.
“Supporters such as Dito Chubinidze and Irma Inashvili, as well as campaigns organised on social media, have raised very serious suspicions and caused us tangible harm,” the document says.
Inashvili denied any involvement in organised campaigns. She said Irakli Garibashvili was her friend, but that she expressed her views publicly and independently.
“I have never planned or conducted any campaigns on social media; I don’t need such campaigns — I already express my views openly in my own name!” Inashvili wrote.
She said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze was the main target of her criticism.
“I expose Kobakhidze and fight against him,” Inashvili said.
Opposition says Garibashvili being politically neutralised
Opposition figures have described Garibashvili’s letter as a sign of an internal conflict within the government. Their comments amount to political assessments and do not independently corroborate the circumstances described in the letter.
Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, said the contents of the letter pointed to a political motive behind Garibashvili’s imprisonment.
“Ivanishvili’s bargaining with Garibashvili — ‘I will punish you even more severely unless you give me guarantees that you will leave politics for good’ — confirms that the motive for his arrest is neither to punish a corrupt official nor to fight corruption in general, nor does it serve any public or state interest. It serves Bidzina’s personal political interests,” Gvaramia wrote.
He also qualified his comments by noting that the authenticity of the letter had not been established. Gvaramia particularly highlighted what he described as an attempt to politically neutralise Garibashvili.
Levan Samushia, a member of the Lelo – Strong Georgia party, linked the statement to the country’s current system of governance. He said any potential threat against Garibashvili’s family warranted a legal response.
“It is clear that Garibashvili is speaking about a possible, alleged threat to his family. This is an issue that requires particular attention and, naturally, provides grounds for launching an investigation,” Samushia said.
Berdia Sichinava, a representative of the Gakharia for Georgia party, said he preferred to wait for further information before reaching a definitive conclusion. Nevertheless, he linked the developments to an internal conflict within Georgian Dream.
“The situation appears alarming because it concerns his family, and at this point clarity is the best means of protecting him and his loved ones,” Sichinava said.
Khatia Dekanoidze, one of the leaders of the United National Movement, described Garibashvili’s case as a warning to current government figures.
“Garibashvili’s case should be learnt by heart by Ivanishvili’s current servants, officials and representatives of the financial sector who justify the government,” Dekanoidze wrote.
Government silent as questions remain unanswered
At the time of writing, reports about Garibashvili’s allegations had not appeared on the websites or Facebook pages of the pro-government Imedi and Rustavi 2 television channels.
Government representatives have yet to respond publicly to the central allegation. They have not said whether Bidzina Ivanishvili had any involvement in sending the letter to Garibashvili. It also remains unclear whether any new investigations into the former prime minister are under way.
Background: From alliance to prison
For many years, Irakli Garibashvili was regarded as one of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s closest political allies. He served twice as Georgia’s prime minister.
On 24 October 2025, Garibashvili was charged with laundering illicit proceeds on an especially large scale. A plea agreement was reached on 12 January 2026, under which the former prime minister was sentenced to five years in prison and fined one million lari. Two cars and $6.5m were also confiscated. He has since been serving his sentence at a penitentiary facility in Rustavi.
Legal proceedings against former senior figures in the ruling team were preceded by internal party disagreements and arrests of officials from various state agencies. There have also been reports of investigative measures involving members of Garibashvili’s family.
The developments suggest that the power struggle within Georgian Dream has entered an increasingly acute phase.
