Tbilisi (GBC) - Tina Bokuchava, chair of the United National Movement, stated at a briefing that her husband, Kote Ioseliani, was kidnapped and pressured before posting a video in which he apologized to Uta Ivanishvili, son of GD founder Bidzina Ivanishvili.
“Some members of the public have seen a video released yesterday by my husband, Kote Ioseliani, in which he appears to apologize for a comment he made in 2018 regarding Uta Ivanishvili. I want to explain what happened before the video was recorded.
Late at night, Kote was attacked near our home by the Vake pool, where we live with our three young children. Five masked men assaulted him at the entrance to our building. Though they failed to cause serious physical harm, they forced him into a car, blindfolded and handcuffed him, and abducted him to an unknown location. While the exact destination remains unclear, based on distance and timing, we believe he was held for hours in the so-called Module building. During this time, the kidnappers interrogated and threatened him for eight hours. They revealed knowledge of our daily routines, including the school our 10-year-old son attends and the kindergarten of our 2.5-year-old twins. The threats were explicit and centred on our children’s safety. Despite his repeated requests, he was not allowed to contact me or use his phone.
Let’s be clear: everyone is entitled to a private life, but we all understand that the 2018 statement about Uta Ivanishvili, for which Kote publicly apologized days later, is not the real reason for his abduction. It is merely a pretext. The real motive is to intimidate me and silence my voice. To Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family, Kote’s abductors, those who ordered this crime, including Gela Geladze, who, as I was informed, was Vano Merabishvili’s devoted servant while I was studying political science in the U.S., and to anyone who believes that such violence will break me, I say this: I am not afraid. I will not remain silent. I will continue to speak the truth and fight against your violent, treacherous regime. They couldn’t touch me directly, so they targeted my family. But I repeat — I am not afraid. I will not be silenced.
Only the truth can defeat this regime built on lies, fear, and betrayal. Let me be clear about something else: pretending to oppose Ivanishvili in local self-government elections while making secret deals with him is pure hypocrisy. It is self-deception and a betrayal of the public. Participating in this so-called ‘special operation’ may only be possible through a backroom agreement with Ivanishvili. I sincerely hope that those I respect will never enter such a deal,” Bokuchava stated.
Kote Ioseliani posted the video apology to Uta Ivanishvili, son of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, on social media the previous day.
