Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of the opposition “Coalition for Change,” has commented on a letter written by imprisoned former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili. The former head of the cabinet stated, in particular, that “as of today, full responsibility for the safety of myself and my family rests with Bidzina Ivanishvili and the entire government.”
As Gvaramia wrote on his Facebook page, Garibashvili has plenty to say, and the opposition politician hopes he will share it with the water by whose “banks we will all sit and wait for the ‘corpses’ of the country’s enemies to float by.”
“What we have gathered from Garibashvili’s address (if the letter is authentic): a victim’s slavish submission to an abuser is abhorrent and accomplishes nothing—on the contrary, it only makes things worse; Ivanishvili’s bargaining with Garibashvili along the lines of ‘I will give you an even longer prison term if you don’t guarantee leaving politics forever’ confirms that the motive behind his arrest is not punishing a corrupt official or fighting corruption in general, nor is it any public or state interest, but Bidzina’s personal political interest in eliminating a political opponent (as he perceives him). And yes, by international standards, someone arrested under such circumstances is considered a political prisoner—whether his last name is Garibashvili or John Smith, and whether he committed a crime or not.
Judging by everything, the regime is breathing its last far more than we can imagine, even among its Black-Hundred-style ‘Kotsi’ (supporters of ‘Georgian Dream’), given the weight it attaches to Garibashvili’s political neutralization. Irakli Kobakhidze is the ‘unburied corpse’ of Georgian politics, unwanted by anyone, whom everyone is trying to get rid of, and whom even the imprisoned Garibashvili outperforms in the hearts of the ‘Kotsi’—which is why he will soon be ‘buried.’
It appears that the information circulating over the past week is being confirmed: searches are being conducted at the homes of Garibashvili’s brother-in-law, his father-in-law, and the latter’s father, accompanied by property inventories and endless interrogations. Tragic news also spread alleging that his father-in-law, Lexo Tamazashvili, could not endure what was happening and attempted suicide, which, since it has not been confirmed to this day, is likely and fortunately untrue.”
In conclusion, Gvaramia expressed hope that a reliable and fearless lawyer would step forward to bring the truth out of prison.
