United National Movement chairwoman Tina Bokuchava has alleged that her husband, Kote Ioseliani, was kidnapped and threatened by masked men in an attempt to intimidate her politically. In a statement at a briefing, Bokuchava said the abduction was not about a public comment Ioseliani made years ago, but about silencing her specifically.
“My husband was ambushed late at night near the entrance to our residence by five masked men. They attacked and abducted him — the real reason behind this was to intimidate and silence me,“ Bokuchava said. “I want to say this clearly, for everyone to hear: I am not afraid! I will not be silenced, and I will fight to dismantle your violent, treacherous regime.“
Bokuchava said that Ioseliani was taken near the Vake swimming pool where the couple lives with their three children. He was blindfolded, tied up, and driven to an undisclosed location, possibly the so-called ‘Moduli’ building, where he was interrogated for eight hours.
“They knew our child’s school, the kindergarten of our twins, they threatened the safety of our children,” she said. “He was denied access to his phone, and I could not reach him all night.”
The incident comes after Ioseliani’s recent video apology to Uta Ivanishvili, son of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, for comments made in 2018. Bokuchava said that apology was forced and the justification was a ‘pretext.’
“We all understand well that the statement Kote made about Uta Ivanishvili seven years ago, for which he publicly apologized just three days after making it, is not the real reason for what happened,” she said. “The real reason was to scare and silence me.”
Addressing Ivanishvili and his inner circle directly, Bokuchava said: “To Bidzina Ivanishvili, to every member of his family, to those who ordered my husband’s kidnapping, including Gela Geladze, I say this loud and clear: I am not afraid!”
