GEORGIA: Oligarch’s son speaks against political violence & more – 23rd Apr 2026

Gamarjobat from Sant Gervasi! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 23rd of April, twenty twenty-six. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Saturday, the 18th, Tsotne Ivanishvili, the youngest son of Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the ruling party and richest man in the country, made a rare public appearance at a Georgian Dream or the Kotsebi youth conference. When asked about the brutal police violence during the pro-European protests in late twenty twenty-four, Tsotne attempted to play the role of the compassionate mediator. He stated that he condemns the violence and that his heart aches over the situation. He also said that political opponents should not label each other Kotsebi, Natsebi, Russians and so on, as this makes healthy debates impossible . He conveniently ignored that his father’s regime maintains total impunity for the officers who beat peaceful demonstrators in the streets.

Next up. On Saturday, the 18th, the Trump Organisation announced plans to build Trump Tower Tbilisi, a seventy-storey skyscraper in the Saburtalo district. This project is a joint venture between U.S. President Donald Trump’s company and four Georgian firms, including Archi Group. If finished, it will become the tallest building in the Caucasus, featuring luxury residences and high-end retail overlooking the city's yet unfinished Central Park. This is Trump’s second attempt at a Georgian project after a Batumi tower failed years ago.

Changing gears. On Sunday, the 19th, authorities found Nariman Makarashvili, known as Monk Nikoloz, dead in his apartment. He was a controversial religious figure with a cult-like following. Police launched an investigation after his followers reported that no one had heard from him for ten days. Reports indicate that some of his most devoted followers had previously blocked medical professionals from entering the apartment to provide aid during his physical decline. These followers reportedly believed the monk was a living saint whose suffering was a spiritual process rather than a medical emergency.

On Monday, the 20th, Israel’s intelligence agencies released a joint statement revealing that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard planned to attack the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. The Mossad and the IDF confirmed that the Iranian network targeted this critical infrastructure, which transports oil through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, along with the Israeli embassy and a synagogue in Baku. This news follows an earlier report from March, when Azerbaijani security services dismantled the terrorist cell during its preparation stage. Authorities seized explosive drones and intelligence materials smuggled into the country for the operation. Israeli officials say that the cell acted under direct orders from Tehran.

Speaking of terrorists. On Monday, the 20th, Georgia’s State Security Service arrested two men in Batumi for joining and assisting Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The suspects, one Georgian citizen and one foreigner, arrived in the country separately and stayed in a rented apartment. During the raid investigators discovered video files of the men swearing an oath of allegiance to the terrorist organization’s leaders as well as ISIS symbols, masks and an unregistered SIM card. Authorities state the pair planned to leave Georgia to join ISIS fighters in another country. Both men now face between ten and seventeen years in prison.

On Friday, the 17th, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia will designate Georgia as an unfriendly country if it joins the European Union. This move would trigger economic countermeasures against Georgian exports of wine, mineral water, and fruit.

Zakharova said EU membership would force Georgia to surrender its sovereignty and provide military support to Ukraine. She said Brussels is imposing alien values on the Georgian people and trying to organize a coup in Tbilisi. Zakharova also said euroscepticism is rising in Georgia and that some political forces now support neutrality.

In another Russia related news. On Wednesday, the 22nd, Georgia’s State Security Service arrested one citizen and exposed two others for spying. While officials didn't name the country involved during their briefing, the pro- government TV channel Rustavi 2 reported the group worked for Russia. The main suspect gathered information on Georgia's law enforcement, including the Ministry of Defense and the Interior Ministry. The group also tracked strategic infrastructure like bridges, highways, and railways using photo and video surveillance. Since the two other suspects fled the country, authorities issued Interpol Red Notices to locate and arrest them abroad.

On Thursday, the 16th, Georgia established a 2,000-square-kilometer no-fly zone over Abastumani, a historic mountain resort famous for its healing micro-climate and observatory. While government officials said the closure protects the observatory’s telescopes from plane contrails, critics said the move serves the personal interests of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Since twenty-eighteen, Ivanishvili has transformed the town into a private sanctuary, purchasing over 52,000 square meters of land for his sprawling estate. Documents reveal this unprecedented restriction makes a specific exception for aircraft landing at Ivanishvili’s private helipad. Although the government denied any economic impact, aviation experts said the new rerouted paths increase fuel costs for international airlines and could damage Georgia’s status as a regional transit hub.

On Thursday, the 16th, Irakli Rukhadze, billionaire and ally of Bidzina Ivanishvili, finalized the sale of Liberty Bank to BasisBank, which is owned by the Chinese Hualing Group. BasisBank now controls 96% of the shares in an institution that serves 1.7 million Georgians.

This deal marks Rukhadze’s second major exit this year. In February he sold Imedi TV, the nation’s largest pro-government propaganda machine, for a symbolic price of 1,000 lari, just over 300 dollars. That sale occurred just three weeks before the United Kingdom officially sanctioned the channel. Because Rukhadze manages extensive assets in the UK through his firm, Hunnewell Partners, industry experts said he liquidated these holdings to evade the personal impact of international sanctions.

On Sunday, the 19th, Bishop Giorgi Jamdeliani of the Marneuli and Hujabi Eparchy publicly urged the Georgian Dream government to stay out of the upcoming election for the next Patriarch. In a social media post, the Bishop demanded that officials refrain from supporting any specific candidate, even indirectly. He cited ancient church canons, which mandates the excommunication of any bishop who gains their position through secular power. The Bishop warned that a leader appointed by outside forces rather than one chosen by the Holy Spirit would cause a massive rift within the Church. Bishop Iakob of Bodbe also echoed these concerns during his Sunday sermon, criticizing government officials for attempting to influence church affairs.

On Saturday, the 18th, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili called the British legal system a nightmare during an ongoing feud with the BBC. The ruling party is filing its third appeal against the broadcaster over an investigative film about the government crackdown on protesters. The documentary suggested that Georgian authorities used a banned toxic chemical agent called Kamite to disperse crowds.

Papuashvili described the UK defamation process as an absurd loop that forces complainants to go through the internal reviews of the BBC before ever reaching a courtroom. While he dismissed the process as a formality, he vowed to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Anna Gvarishvili published an article for OC Media titled "Georgia’s opposition attempts a political reset with new alliance," which explores a new coalition of nine pro-European parties. This group, which includes Natsebi and Akhali, signed a binding code of conduct to coordinate street protests and international pressure against the ruling party and reset the political system following 500 days of pro-European protests. While two major opposition parties like Lelo and Gakharia’s For Georgia did not join, alliance leaders say this unity meets public demand for a credible government alternative. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze responded to the news by threatening to ban these opposition parties through constitutional court. Link to the full English language article in the show notes.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Anything to tell us, info@rorshok.com.

Nakhvamdis!