“This is Ivanishvili’s order to target Giorgi Gakharia in such a manner. The ‘Sheraton’ is a global brand that values its reputation and prestige. I’m confident they won’t claim the [camera] was malfunctioning,” said Zviad Dzidziguri, a member of ‘Gakharia For Georgia,’ in response to the attack on the party leader Giorgi Gakharia during PalitraNews’ program “Resume.”

According to Dzidziguri, this is clearly an act of political retaliation.

“A week before the elections, Ivanishvili spoke with such hatred and contempt about Giorgi Gakharia on Imedi’s broadcast. What happened in Batumi is a continuation of this. Ivanishvili’s order is evident—to confront Gakharia in this way. This is nothing but political retaliation. It’s pointless to delve into details. The ‘Sheraton’ is a global brand that protects its reputation and prestige. I’m certain they won’t claim the [camera] was malfunctioning. If the footage reaches the authorities, we’ll see what actually happened. Was Gakharia attacked while they were already prepared with a camera? They were ready to film it.

More than ten people participated in the attack. Prior to this, Zviad Koridze was assaulted there. I’m convinced they were waiting for Gakharia and knew he was present. My assumption is that Koridze’s presence was inconvenient as an additional witness, which is why they forced him to leave. This is a clear act of retaliation against a political leader,” Dzidziguri said.

He further stated, “Ivanishvili believes that by using violence, deploying thugs, and repressing political opponents, he will intimidate the public. However, this has the opposite effect; it’s like pouring fuel on the fire.”

For context, Giorgi Gakharia, the leader of ‘Gakharia For Georgia,’ was attacked in Batumi. The assault on the opposition politician occurred last night at the Sheraton Hotel. Gakharia was taken to a clinic but later discharged. According to doctors, Gakharia suffered a nasal bone fracture and a concussion. Media reports suggest that one of the individuals involved in the physical altercation with Gakharia is Dimitri Samkharadze, a member of parliament from the ruling Georgian Dream party. Additionally, another confrontation occurred at the same hotel involving Zviad Koridze, a representative of the NGO sector. Koridze claims he was also confronted by Samkharadze and his associates.