Transparency International - Georgia issued a statement asserting that the attack on Zviad Koridze, head of its regional offices, in Batumi was a deliberate assault on their organization by Ivanishvili’s regime.

According to the statement, this violent incident is a continuation of a long-standing government campaign against the organization.

“Transparency International - Georgia” demands that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor's Office take immediate action against the perpetrators and promptly arrest Dimitri Samkharadze, Giorgi Manvelidze, and other individuals involved in the attack.

“We respond to the attack on Zviad Koridze, head of the regional offices of Transparency International - Georgia, in Batumi and view it as a targeted act of violence and retribution by Ivanishvili’s party against the Georgian civil sector and our organization’s representative. This incident is a continuation of the years-long government campaign against our organization.

As the public is aware, on the night of January 14-15, 2024, in the lobby of the Sheraton Hotel in Batumi, Zviad Koridze - a well-known journalist, civic activist, and regional office manager for Transparency International - Georgia - was attacked. Koridze was in Batumi on a business trip monitoring the court hearing of a political prisoner, Mzia Amaglobeli, the founder of 'Batumelebi' and 'Netgazeti,' while also protesting her illegal detention.

The group attack involved Dimitri Samkharadze, the regional secretary of the 'Georgian Dream' party; Giorgi Manvelidze, the former chair of the Adjara Supreme Council faction and current deputy minister of finance and economy of Adjara; and possibly judo athlete and illegitimate parliament member Varlam Liparteliani. The identities of those involved indicate that the attacks on civil society and critics of the regime are directly orchestrated by leaders of the Georgian Dream party, who personally engage in physical assaults. The same individuals later attacked former Prime Minister and current leader of the political party 'For Georgia,' Giorgi Gakharia.

These violent events demonstrate that retribution against critics and our organization’s representatives is a political decision by Georgian Dream, with the assaults carried out not by covertly organized groups but by openly operating leaders acting as Ivanishvili’s enforcers. Their role is to persecute and attack activists and civil society organizations.

We demand that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor’s Office take immediate action and swiftly arrest Dimitri Samkharadze, Giorgi Manvelidze, and others involved in the attack. Their actions constitute crimes under Article 156 (persecution involving violence or threats of violence based on speech, opinion, or professional activity) and Article 225 (organizing, leading, or participating in group violence) of the Criminal Code.

We also call on the Sheraton Hotel management to make video recordings public, given the high public interest in this case.

We will immediately inform our international partners to ensure an appropriate response to both Ivanishvili and his enforcer groups for these actions,” the statement reads.