Businessman Giorgi Ramishvili Released on Bail
Ramishvili, founder of the Silk Road Group, an investment company that brings together major Georgian businesses in communications and hospitality, was
detained
on July 6. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, law enforcement officers seized a firearm, a magazine, and cartridges while scanning his hand luggage at the departures terminal of Tbilisi International Airport.
Prosecutors
charged
him the next day with illegally carrying a firearm, a criminal offense punishable by four to seven years in prison, and requested Ramishvili's pretrial detention.
Ramishvili's detention drew public scrutiny and fueled suspicions that it was part of a broader crackdown by Georgian Dream targeting former officials and business associates, including through arrests or legislative initiatives introducing radical measures against those convicted of financial crimes. However, his defense dismissed any political motivation, describing the firearm incident as an 'unforeseen mistake.'
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Civil.ge
12 hours ago
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Georgian Dream's Ex-Officials and Business Associates in Hot Water
Georgian Dream leaders have been ramping up anti-corruption rhetoric, but recent criminal prosecutions and legislative moves suggest the party is going through an internal purge and retributions. 'We will be fully uncompromising with corruption,' the Georgian Dream Prime Minister told the one-party parliament while presenting his annual report on June 27. The report came amid a wave of surprise resignations and barely explained reshuffles within the GD government. Kobakhidze said that 'conscientiousness' would be 'the main criterion for selecting the new team in the Georgian government.' The Georgian Dream is backing the words with laws. A legislative package is making its way through the one-party parliament, introducing what's seen as draconian measures to combat financial crime. The bill, which has cleared two readings and is expected to be adopted this fall, would bar individuals convicted of financial crimes from leaving the country for years, while also allowing authorities to recover assets from the convict's relatives and penalize others for offering minimal assistance. With this menace hanging over their heads, the Georgian Dream officials and former business associates of the party's patron, Bidzina Ivanishvili, have already found themselves in all kinds of troubles, from arrests and criminal charges to alleged abductions and even gunshot incidents. Some say Ivanishvili is going after people whom he personally suspects of misusing his money or violating trust, using captured state institutions, from parliament to prosecutors to courts, as tools. 'Ivanishvili threatens his debtors that he will not only prevent them from leaving the country, but also take everything from them and bleed them dry in poverty,' Nika Simonishvili, lawyer and former head of the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, wrote on Facebook when commenting on the pending bill on July 4. The legislative package foresees changes to several laws, including the Criminal Code and Criminal Procedure Code. Once the draft is enacted, those found guilty of financial crimes, who are yet to repay damage to the victims, will be barred from leaving the country for years, even after serving their prison or probationary terms. The bill lists specific criminal offences where the travel ban would apply, including fraud, extortion, misappropriation or embezzlement, property damage by deception, damage or destruction of property, concealment of property through fraudulent or sham transactions, abuse of power, and interference with computer data or systems for financial gain . 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To add to the gravity, the draft law also permits the recovery of stolen or embezzled funds not only from the offender's assets, but also from the assets of close relatives or other persons to whom the convict transferred property for free or on preferential terms following the financial offense in question, or if the assets were transferred or acquired through a transaction considered as money laundering. The bill also prohibits informal agreements aimed at alleviating the convict's lot. Fines or up to three years' imprisonment are foreseen for the convicted offender who generates undeclared revenue exceeding twice the minimum subsistence level (currently set at approximately USD 100), or acquires real estate or a vehicle through such an arrangement. Similarly, individuals, including family members, who provide such funds or property to the convict may also be subject to a fine and face up to five years in prison, with the property subject to confiscation. 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On May 1, the Tbilisi City Court ordered Bachiashvili to repay 9,000 bitcoins, worth about USD 867 million, to Ivanishvili. Georgian Dream's Mamuka Mdinaradze confirmed the draft financial crime laws were 'inspired' by the Bachiashvili case. Next was Romeo Mikautadze, Georgia's former Deputy Economy Minister, who was arrested on June 21 by the State Security Service on charges of abuse of power and money laundering. He is accused of laundering more than GEL 2.5 million between 2017 and 2024 while holding senior public positions. The lavish lifestyle of the family of Mikautadze, known as a crony to ex-Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, has featured in several journalistic investigations before. GD Economy Minister, Levan Davitashvili, who was widely considered a competent technocrat, was also abruptly removed soon afterwards. The bizarre circumstances of the sudden arrest of Giorgi Ramishvili, an influential businessman and the founder of the sprawling Silk Road Group, who was charged with carrying a firearm in a checked-in luggage early in July, drew questions. Ramishvili and his lawyers tried to play down the case as a misunderstanding, and he was soon released on bail . Still, his arrest fuelled earlier speculation that Ivanishvili was 'calling in' money he considered to be owed to him. Soon followed another dramatic development, with Tornike Rizhvadze, former Adjara government head, who resigned in April, landing in hospital with a near-fatal gunshot to his chest on July 7. Prosecutors promptly described the incident as a suicide attempt, while pro-GD media circulated Rizhvadze's 'note' where the ex-official allegedly said he faced accusations of 'corruption and protecting drug dealers,' and appealed to Bidzina Ivanishvili and Irakli Kobakhidze to protect his family. 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OC Media
15 hours ago
- OC Media
Violent detention attempt in Tbilisi fuels concerns of police brutality
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member In Tbilisi, police attempted to violently detain an elderly man who had confronted officers over their mistreatment of another citizen. The footage of the event quickly spread on social media, reigniting public debate about arbitrary and violent actions by police toward citizens. The incident took place on Friday, near Tbilisi's old town. According to video footage recorded from a nearby building, the confrontation occurred on the road between police officers and a man. At that moment, a passerby — later identified as Mamuka Samarguliani — appeared at the scene and shouted at the officers, urging them to stop their action. As later reported, one of the officers told him it was none of his business. In response, an angry Samarguliani told the police: 'The day will come when you'll be screwed'. Following the exchange, one officer grabbed Samarguliani by his clothes. Others soon joined in, forcing him toward a nearby car and attempting to detain him violently. As a result, the man lost consciousness. The violent action outraged bystanders, and a young man attempted to help Samarguliani while he was still conscious — but the police prevented him from doing so. Later, in TV interviews, Samarguliani said he was outraged by the way the police treated the other man. 'I'm against all forms of aggression […] I'm against people throwing stones at the police […] I'm against any kind of violation. But I'm also against the violation of a person's most basic rights', he told TV Formula. Advertisement 'After something like this, how is a person supposed to feel like they're living in a country?' he added. According to Samarguliani, after he regained consciousness, the police approached him again and tried to persuade him to get into a police car — which he refused. He said the police interpreted his earlier comment as verbal abuse. In the video, Samarguliani can be heard saying, 'I didn't curse!' — but the police wouldn't be convinced. Footage of the incident spread quickly across social media, with one video alone garnering 1.2 million views on the Facebook page of the opposition platform Mtavari Arkhi. Among those who reacted to the incident was former Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili. 'What more does [the government] have to do for the last remaining Mohicans of Georgian Dream to finally open their eyes[…]' she wrote on Facebook. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) also issued a statement, describing the incident as yet another example of 'the arbitrary use of detention — an extreme measure — by representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs'. The organisation stated that the citizen's expression of anger could not serve as legal grounds for detention, especially considering that the statement was made in the context of criticising police conduct. Amid the widespread public reaction, the Interior Ministry also released a statement, though only a small portion of it addressed the episode involving Samarguliani. The statement claimed that the video footage 'did not reflect the full picture of the incident'. According to the ministry, the incident began when police stopped a moped on Amaghleba Street for inspection. At that point, the driver of a passing vehicle approached the officers and 'verbally insulted' them. In response, police asked the man to take a drug and alcohol test, after which he allegedly became more aggressive and was detained. The ministry further stated that another passenger from the same vehicle physically assaulted an officer. The statement concluded that a third individual — presumably referring to Samarguliani — then appeared and 'tried to interfere with the lawful actions being carried out', during which he 'fell ill'. The statement made no mention of the police officers' treatment of Samarguliani, but it emphasised that 'all individuals involved in the incident will be subject to actions defined by law'. It remains unclear how the police intend to proceed in Samarguliani's case. He told journalists that he was made to sign a written statement and was summoned to the police station, though he did not specify under which article. OC Media has reached out to the ministry's press office for comment on the matter.
OC Media
15 hours ago
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Former US diplomat and civic sector consultant denied entry to Georgia as cases mount
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Editor's note: This article has been updated to include comments from Maggie Osdoby Katz. A former US diplomat and civic sector consultant, Maggie Osdoby Katz, was denied entry to Georgia on Saturday in what appears to be the latest in a series of refusals to foreign nationals with specific professional profiles. Katz wrote on Facebook that she was turned away at the border with 'no questions asked' and no real explanation given. '27 years of living, visiting and supporting my beloved [...] home. My heart is [broken]', she wrote. Ukrainian news outlet the Kyiv Post reported that her phone was confiscated 'during several hours in a holding area before she was placed on an outbound flight'. Katz has reportedly lived on and off in Georgia for prolonged periods of time, working for the US Embassy, election monitoring missions, consulting civil society organisations and social entrepreneurs, and working on peace building and democracy initiatives. In February, Katz promoted OC Media's fundraising campaign, responding to the crackdown on independent media in the country. Advertisement Later that month, she launched her own campaign, seeking 'urgent support for Georgia's democratic future' amid the US foreign assistance freeze, which raised over $10,000. In response to a request for comment from OC Media, the US Embassy said that it was 'aware of the report', but could not comment due to privacy concerns. Katz described her experience in a written comment to OC Media. 'Yes, my phone was confiscated, after they gave me the decision [to not be allowed to enter] and escorted me to the holding area. It was returned when I boarded the plane under escort'. Katz added that she was not questioned before she was refused entry. 'I plan to appeal and pursue any and all channels available to me', she told OC Media. 'Georgia is a home for me, it is part of who I am, it has a piece of my soul whose absence I feel when away. I will do everything I can to be with my god kids, my friends, and the mountains I love'. A growing list of border denials Border officials appear to have been regularly using the justification 'other cases envisaged by Georgian legislation' to bar entry to foreign nationals, including Western journalists critical of the governments in Tbilisi and Moscow. This trend started after the start of popular protests in November, following the Georgian government's decision to halt EU accession efforts 'until 2028'. Recent cases on entry denials include Romanian stand up comedian Victor Patrascan, prominent French photographer Marylise Vigneau, Lithuanian women's rights advocate Regina Jegorova-Askerova, among countless others. Jegorova-Askerova reportedly had a family in Georgia, including two children, and also held permanent residency. On 21 May, Simon Vandenbroucke, an Enlargement Programme Officer working for the EU Delegation to Georgia, was denied entry to Georgia without explanation. After the delegation addressed the Georgian Foreign Ministry regarding the matter, however, the Georgian authorities 'presented oral apologies for the regrettable incident and confirmed that the staff member is welcome to come back to his place of posting'. Later the same month, the French and Polish Embassies in Georgia issued travel advisories, warning their citizens they could be denied entry into Georgia or face heavy fines for participating in or sharing information on social media related to the ongoing anti-government protests. Georgia-US diplomatic tensions Until Katz, there appear not to have been any public cases of an American citizen being denied entry. Georgia-US, as well as Georgia-EU diplomatic relations, have been at what many describe as their historic low, with Georgian officials using hostile language towards Western officials and touting 'deep state' conspiracy theories. Earlier this year, the US imposed sanctions on Georgian authorities, including the ruling Georgian Dream's billionaire founder Bidzina Ivanishvili. This followed the parliamentary elections of 2024, widely seen as rigged, after which the Georgian Dream announced a freeze on EU accession. This triggered mass protests across the country, with law enforcement and affiliated groups cracking down on protesters, journalists, and activists. Last week, US Ambassador to Georgia Robin Dunnigan said in an interview with RFE/RL that Georgian Dream sent a private letter to President Donald Trump that was 'threatening, insulting, [and] unserious'. Dunnigan added that the letter was 'received extremely poorly in Washington'. Later in the interview, the ambassador also said she had requested to meet with Ivanishvili, but he had refused.
