"Ivanishvili was planned to be killed" – Georgian authorities respond to SSG investigation on coup attempts
Georgian SSG coup investigation
Pro-government Georgian media outlets like POS TV, Rustavi-2, Imedi, and Public Broadcaster report on an ongoing investigation by the State Security Service (SSG) that involves questioning Georgian citizens who participated in the war Russia is waging against Ukraine. They claim it is related to the preparation of terrorist acts against Bidzina Ivanishvili and other high-ranking officials of the ruling party, Georgian Dream.
According to the reports, “these attacks are still in the planning stages.”
The media’s claims are based on a statement made by Georgian fighter Gela Kakhabrishvili and his lawyer Mikheil Ramishvili on July 23, following their interrogation by the State Security Service. According to their statement, the SSG’s investigation includes the alleged planning of a terrorist act against Bidzina Ivanishvili and other leaders of “Georgian Dream” with the aim of a government coup.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, chairman of the ruling party faction “Georgian Dream,” responded to the ongoing investigation into terrorism and coup d’état charges, stating that there was a plan to assassinate Ivanishvili and the leaders of “Georgian Dream.”
Following the dissemination of information about the alleged terrorist plot in government media, other members of “Georgian Dream” also spoke out. MP Rati Ionatamishvili said in an interview with “Rustavi-2” that the opposition “knows everything.”
The Georgian State Security Service has begun questioning Georgian citizens who volunteered to fight in Ukraine. Among those interviewed are Nadim Khmaladze, a member of the “Georgian Legion” fighting in Ukraine, anti-occupation movement activist Lasha Chigladze, and war veterans Beso Bendeliani, Vazha Tsatsadze, Gela Kakhabrishvili, and Konstantin Jgamaya.
As a result, the number of people summoned to the Georgian State Security Service has increased to 10 over the past week.
Mamuka Mamulashvili, commander of the “Georgian Legion” fighting in Ukraine, told The Insider that approximately 300 people from Georgia are currently sought for their involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, with most of them currently in Ukraine. Mamulashvili noted that he does not know Khmaladze and Chigladze, suggesting they likely fought in other units.
“Russian and Georgian special services are working in sync today. Many of our guys returning to Georgia were advised by Georgian special services to leave the country. The special services told them: ‘There are many Russians here, we can no longer protect you, leave,'” Mamuka Mamulashvili said.
What Mamuka Mdinaradze said
“For the first three days, it was known that the investigation was being conducted under two articles. But the witnesses, their defenders, and the ‘National Movement’ television focused solely on the conspiracy charge and did not mention terrorism at all. Everyone was aware of what the investigation was about — that, apparently, there were plans to assassinate Bidzina Ivanishvili and other leaders of ‘Georgian Dream,’ carry out explosions, terrorist acts, and thus a coup, since there were no more chances. It’s no longer about winning elections. And the terrorism charge was persistently not mentioned,” Mdinaradze said in a conversation with journalists.
Comment
Giga Bokeria, leader of the opposition party ‘European Georgia,’ responded to the interrogations of Georgians fighting in Ukraine and war veterans:
“This is a PR stunt by traitors who have lost all human and state dignity.
They are not investigating anything at all. If you really want an investigation and suspect someone of planning something illegal, you don’t conduct such a PR campaign.
Their message is as if they are fighting against disorder and the ‘global war party’ — and by doing this, they offend those who risk their lives for the interests of our country.
We have never heard of our enemies, who committed genocide against us in the 90s, who bombed us, killed our people, and threatened our existence and our families, being summoned for questioning.
The goal of the ‘Dream’ is to preserve Ivanishvili’s power at any cost, at the cost of betraying the national interests of the country.”
Background
On July 7 of this year, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed that the United States was planning a government change in Georgia, akin to an “Euromaidan” scenario. The statement was published on the SVR’s website and largely aimed at discrediting the opposition and President Salome Zourabichvili.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, Matthew Miller, responded to Russia’s allegations, stating that they were completely false and absurd.
In September 2023, the Security Service of Georgia also issued a statement with similar content. It referred to the “Euromaidan” and “external threats,” with specific organizers of the coup being ethnic Georgians working in the Ukrainian government and residing in Ukraine.
The plan was attributed to Giorgi Lortkipanidze, Deputy Head of Ukrainian Military Intelligence, who had served as Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs under Mikhail Saakashvili.
Also named among the participants were former bodyguard of ex-President Mikhail Saakashvili, Mikhail Baturin, and Mamuka Mamulashvili, a member of Saakashvili’s inner circle and commander of the active “Georgian Legion” in Ukraine.
However, no new information regarding the investigation of this case has been available for a long time.
