Former member of United National Movement Kote Ioseliani has made serious allegations against Georgia’s security services, claiming he was abducted near his home in a politically motivated act. Coming forward after the incident, Ioseliani directly addressed Uta Ivanishvili, the son of ruling party figure Bidzina Ivanishvili, urging him to initiate a direct conversation.
“I want to address Uta Ivanishvili: if you want to discuss this matter with me, call me, and I will speak with you personally,” said Ioseliani.
As Ioseliani put it, the abduction took place shortly after he published a video apology to Uta Ivanishvili for comments made years ago. The day following the video’s release, Ioseliani’s wife, Tina Bokuchava, Chair of ‘Unity – National Movement’, reported that five masked individuals had attacked and kidnapped her husband near their residential building.
Ioseliani offered a detailed account of the incident, saying it bore all the marks of a ‘classic abduction.’
“This was a classic abduction in every sense, carried out near my home, clearly involving violence. Several people were involved. At first, I thought it was a continuation of the earlier violence I had experienced, but after being forced into a car and blindfolded, I realized what was happening.”
He believes the operation was orchestrated by state special services, describing it as a “well-planned special operation.”
“This was a well-planned special operation led by special services, which have the means to intercept communications, conduct surveillance, and facilitate groups I had been in contact with to carry out their tasks freely.”
He further stated that he was taken to an unknown location, possibly within the Saburtalo district, and pressured into cooperating. Ultimately, he complied with their demands and sent a voice message to calm concerns about his whereabouts.
“There was a demand, which I complied with. It’s not as if I made some moral or principled compromise; apologizing a second time didn’t seem like a big deal to me.”
Despite filing a complaint as law requires, Ioseliani expressed complete distrust in the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) which he accuses of failing to protect citizens.
“I have zero trust in the MIA; I believe it is not an institution that ensures people’s safety… This process, which is underway, will be a formality required by law. I have no expectations that they will conduct a real investigation.”
He added that none of the attackers were identifiable as they were all wearing masks.
The incident has deepened concerns about politically motivated intimidation in Georgia and puts further scrutiny on the relationship between the state’s security structures and its political elite.
