Former Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili has published another letter from prison. In it, the former head of government speaks in detail about the start of his trial. On Monday, the Tbilisi City Court held a preliminary hearing on a new corruption charge—accepting a bribe on an especially large scale.
“On October 19, my trial began. In this regard, I wish to state that this is a politically motivated case built on slander, and the public will learn the full truth about the details of these absurd proceedings over the course of the trial.
Since the slanderous accusation leveled against me touches upon one of the most sensitive issues—the Ministry of Defense and the country’s defense capabilities—I consider it appropriate to briefly share with the public what was accomplished to strengthen national defense during my tenure as Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.
During this period, the following was carried out:
- long-term development planning for the Defense Forces;
- modernization of military equipment and weaponry;
- improvement of military infrastructure and social conditions for service members;
- alignment with NATO standards and the transition to alliance-standard armaments;
- development of military aviation and air defense capabilities, along with numerous other critical projects.
‘All the best for the army!’—such was my motto, upon which I built my vision, policy, and every decision from the moment I was appointed minister. Together with the Defense Forces, we presented a 10-year development strategy and action plan to the public (later, I made this experience and model mandatory for the entire government and all ministries).
Together with my team and the Defense Forces, we launched large-scale work to develop military infrastructure. All military bases were renovated and reconstructed in accordance with unified NATO standards. By the end of 2023, 270 facilities had been built and restored, including barracks, dining facilities, sports complexes, and residential quarters. In total, renovation work was carried out across more than 500 facilities,” Garibashvili writes.
According to the former prime minister, the “Military Town” was also built during that period—apartments were handed over to more than 1,000 service members at minimal cost.
“I strived to do everything possible for our soldiers: individual gear, uniforms, footwear, resolving social welfare issues, a 50% salary increase, a fully modernized vehicle fleet, military trucks, specialized machinery, armored vehicles, modernized weaponry, and replenished reserves. Dozens of contracts were signed for weapons procurement, air defense systems were restored and acquired, military aviation—both airplanes and helicopters—was completely revived, and artillery, logistics, and all defense capabilities were reinforced… This is a brief overview of what was accomplished for our military under my leadership.”
Garibashvili also claims that prior to 2020, Georgian Dream had lost every election at closed military polling stations: “And only during my tenure as Minister of Defense, in the 2020 parliamentary elections, did Georgian Dream secure 85–90% of the vote at closed military polling stations. I believe this fact alone speaks volumes.”
Letters from Prison:
Irakli Garibashvili served as Prime Minister of Georgia twice—from November 20, 2013, to December 23, 2015, and from February 22, 2021, to February 8, 2024. In addition, he twice served as chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party. Garibashvili finally left the party in April 2025, several months after stepping down as prime minister. At the time, he stated that he saw no further need to remain party chairman or stay in politics at all. Nonetheless, the former prime minister claimed he remained a “loyal soldier” of Bidzina Ivanishvili’s team.
Subsequently, the politician was detained, charged with corruption, and sentenced to 5 years in prison (he faced between 9 and 12 years behind bars, but in January 2026 it was revealed that he had admitted guilt and entered into a plea agreement with the prosecutor’s office).
On August 24, Irakli Garibashvili was handed a new indictment—accepting an especially large bribe by a group of individuals acting by prior conspiracy. This charge carries a prison sentence of 11 to 15 years. This time, the former prime minister refused to plead guilty and declared his intention to fight for justice.
Meanwhile, since mid-August, Garibashvili has been regularly posting letters on social media, claiming he is being “forced” into an open fight.
- On August 17, Irakli Garibashvili openly spoke out against the ruling team and Bidzina Ivanishvili for the first time. According to him, “on Bidzina Ivanishvili’s instructions,” he was delivered a letter suggesting he “confess” to an unspecified corruption crime to hedge against a 1% “risk” of his return to politics. He placed full responsibility for his own safety and that of his family directly on Ivanishvili and the current authorities;
- In his post from August 18, he no longer mentions Ivanishvili, stating instead that the letter was sent by Mamuka Mdinaradze—who at various times served as vice prime minister, minister, head of the SSG (State Security Service of Georgia), and parliamentary majority leader. In that same letter, Garibashvili noted that he had “done everything” to avoid conflict with his team and close associates, explaining that this was precisely why he admitted the earlier corruption charges, leading to his 5-year sentence under a plea agreement. Nine days after Garibashvili published the letter, Mdinaradze abruptly announced his departure from politics;
- In his third open letter from prison, dated August 20, the former prime minister alleged threats of arrest against his family members. According to the politician, he is being pressured to plead guilty in the new case “solely to hedge against the so-called one-percent risk you conveyed and permanently sideline me from politics.” The former prime minister claims this was accompanied by “unethical blackmail and pressure”: “For the second time, hints have been made about arresting my 75-year-old father”;
- On August 25, the former prime minister of Georgia released another letter from prison, stating that he saw no point in attending court hearings because the new criminal case against him was entirely political. Garibashvili described the proceedings as a “political masquerade” and stressed that truth was now his only path and weapon in this struggle;
- In a letter dated September 1, the former prime minister stated that he had questions regarding the suicide of an interviewee for the newspaper Asaval-Dasavali who had praised him and criticized Irakli Kobakhidze. According to Garibashvili, some had questioned the official suicide ruling: “I ask this question publicly because questions still linger unanswered in our society regarding the suicides of several individuals during the Kobakhidze–Mdinaradze rule.” Following the publication of the letter, opposition leaders—rather than the politicians mentioned in the post—were summoned for questioning;
- In a letter on September 7, Irakli Garibashvili asserted that “dirty political games” were being waged against him, adding that he had recently heard shameful and mendacious statements from people who had lost all human decency. According to the former prime minister, the authorities are attempting to discredit him by linking him to the United National Movement, but such “ludicrous and desperate” measures are futile. The politician stated that Georgian Dream is orchestrating a “reprehensible and tragic” charade;
- On September 21, in his seventh letter, he once again addressed his former allies, accusing them of having “confused even their own electorate” and having sown “a fear of hopelessness, instability, and an unpredictable future.” “You are already following in Saakashvili’s footsteps and bringing back the governing methods of the United National Movement.” According to Garibashvili, he was promised that in exchange for admitting guilt, a plea bargain would be struck resulting in a lengthy suspended sentence and a fine, without actual prison time. Instead, the former prime minister claims, he was “double-crossed”;
- On September 30, the former prime minister once again issued a letter from prison highlighting his achievements during his second term as head of the Georgian government. “Nearly three years have passed since then, and I want to ask the people: has the situation in the country—both in domestic and foreign policy—improved or deteriorated?!” Garibashvili wrote.