GEORGIA: PM’s Letter to Trump & more – 15th May 2025

Gamarjobat from Gracia! This is the Rorshok Georgia Update from the 15th of May twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Georgia.

On Tuesday, the 13th, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze sent an open letter to President Trump and Vice President Vance. In the letter, he pushed the conspiracy theory that the Deep State is trying to organize a revolution in Georgia and expressed disappointment that the current U.S. administration did not roll back decisions made under President Biden, which included canceling the strategic partnership with Georgia and sanctioning Bidzina Ivanishvili along with other officials.

He was also not happy with the U.S' decision not to engage with the Georgian government in any talks, while still having contact with countries that are undemocratic and authoritarian.

Kobakhidze wrote that the ruling party and Trump’s administration have a lot in common in terms of worldview and ideology, so he hopes that the relationship between the two countries will reset and start over from a clean slate.

In other news, Mariam Makasarashvili, a journalist for TV channel Pirveli, says that she and her crew were attacked by the father of Giorgi Shinjikashvili, the recently resigned deputy governor of Kvemo Kartli, a region in central Georgia.

The incident happened on Monday, the 12th, in Martkopi, a village in Kvemo Kartli. The journalists were filming outside Shinjikashvili’s house, working on a story about his resignation, which he announced the day before.

The attacker spoke with them calmly at first and answered questions about his son. However, he apparently became angry when asked about his son’s relationship with the infamous Khareba, the head of the Special Tasks Department, known for his brutal suppression of protests. An ongoing conflict between these two, which reportedly started a year ago with a physical altercation between them in a restaurant, may have led to Shinjikashvili’s eventual resignation.

On Wednesday, the 14th, Irakli Oqruashvili, the former defense minister under the United National Movement or Natsebi, was arrested in a courtroom for failing to pay a bail of 20,000 lari— which is over 7,000 dollars. The bail was set a month ago after he was charged for refusing to appear before Parliament’s temporary investigation committee, set up to investigate crimes of the Natsebi regime.

Oqruashvili said he was ready for this outcome and came prepared. His lawyer stated he is unemployed and has no income, with Okruashvili adding that he transferred all his property to his children. Refusing a committee summons carries up to one year in prison. Nika Gvaramia, one of the opposition leaders, who also ignored the summons, said he too wouldn’t pay his bail of 50,000 lari—over 18,000 dollars.

Next up, according to the twenty twenty-five Democracy Perception Index, an annual report by the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, Georgia is among the top five countries where democracy is highly valued by the citizens. The report shows that 86% of Georgians believe democracy is either very or extremely important. Greece, Turkey, Uruguay, and Hungary also ranked high on the list.

The report shows that for Georgians, democracy’s main goal is to improve the citizens’ living conditions and well-being. It also indicates that Georgians, alongside Ukrainians and Filipinos, are the most fearful about another country attacking them. Georgians also support increasing defense spending, even if it means paying higher taxes.

Want to read the full report? Link in the show notes!

On another note, on Monday, the 12th, was the 50th birthday of Mzia Amaglobeli, the founder of the online and print media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. She has been in prison since the 11th of January, when she was arrested for slapping Irakli Dgebuadze, the chief of Batumi Police. She said that she slapped him because he and other policemen had treated her inhumanely before the arrest.

Journalists, activists, artists, and friends gathered on the hill overlooking Rustavi’s women’s prison with signs and flew kites that read “Freedom for Mzia,” hoping she’d see them from her cell and feel their support. She’s widely seen as Georgia’s first female journalist jailed for political reasons. If the court finds her guilty of an attack on a policeman, she will face four to seven years in prison.

An eighteen-year-old man was killed on Sunday, the 11th, at a well-known establishment called Rati’s Bar. Located in Tbilisi, the venue is a popular nightlife spot but is known for attracting a lawless crowd. Its owner, after whom the bar is named, is reportedly well-connected with Georgia’s ruling party and often hosts Titushkebi — criminal-minded individuals used by the government to intimidate protesters.

Police arrested two people. One of them is the killer, who previously served a ten-year sentence for murder but was released early in twenty seventeen, and another person who knew about the crime but failed to report it. In Georgia, not reporting such crimes can carry a sentence of three to seven years. Both suspects have chosen to remain silent. Reports suggest the altercation began when the victim accidentally brushed the killer’s shoulder, who stabbed him in the heart in response.

Meanwhile, on Friday, the 9th, Russia celebrated Victory Day, marking the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. In light of this, the Russian Interests Section at the Swiss Embassy in Georgia shared a message from President Putin to Georgian WWII veterans and citizens. Recall that Russia has not had an embassy in Georgia since two thousand eight, so diplomatic communication between the two countries is handled through the Swiss Embassy.

In his letter, Putin spoke about the shared history between the two nations and warned against foreign powers sowing discord between their peoples. Ironically, he also sent letters to the de facto leaders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Georgian regions occupied by Russia.

Speaking of Russia celebrating Victory day, according to TV channel Pirveli, Otar Partskhaladze, Georgia’s former Chief Prosecutor under the Georgian Dream or Otsneba, who is under U.S. sanctions for his ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service and involvement in Russian economic affairs, was seen on Moscow’s Red Square during the Victory Day celebration. Photos and videos show him standing next to Mamuka Phiphia, a pro-Russian businessman and member of the Solidarity for Peace party, who advocated for resuming diplomatic relations and strengthening ties with Russia.

Let's talk about another former Otsneba official. Former Prime Minister Gogi Kvirikashvili, who held the position from twenty fifteen to twenty eighteen, has called on the government to release those detained during pro-European protests.

On his Facebook page Kvirikashvili wrote that freeing them would not be seen as a sign of weakness and would help ease public tension. He also said that many citizens, including government supporters, quietly disapprove of the harsh treatment, especially towards the young people whose court hearings are still ongoing.

A group of Armenian cognac producers and transporters held a protest in front of Georgia’s embassy in Yerevan on Tuesday, the 13th. They demanded answers on why Georgia, a transit country, delays and inspects their alcohol —meant for Russia and the Baltics— for days and sometimes weeks. They said the products aren’t for Georgian markets and these hold-ups cause major financial losses and risk of bankruptcy. The Embassy promised demonstrators to deliver Tbilisi’s official response soon. If this does not happen, demonstrators said they will continue the protests.

Strong winds on Sunday, the 10th, caused several incidents in Batumi, the second biggest city and tourist hub in western Georgia. A couple was injured when a scaffolding collapsed and fell on them. They were transported to a clinic, and their condition is stable. The wind also prevented a flight from Istanbul from landing in Batumi’s airport; the aircraft was forced to fly in circles over the sea for hours before the weather conditions improved.

Closing with cultural news, Andro Chichinadze, a famous Georgian screen and theater actor arrested during pro-European protests in Georgia, just became a member of the European Film Academy. The Academy’s chairman expressed his support for him and called for global film organizations to show solidarity.

Authorities arrested Chichinadze on the 5th of January, accusing him of participating in group violence against law enforcement. If convicted, he faces four to six years in prison.

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

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Nakhvamdis!