Salome Zurabishvili on Tina Bokuchava’s statement: This is already the verdict of this regime - It no longer knows what to resort to in order to intimidate people, threaten them, or prohibit them from speaking or writing something on Facebook - This is an attempt at total control

Kote Ioseliani expressed an opinion, perhaps inappropriate, eight years ago, and today he is being punished because it concerned the “naked king’s family.” This is already the verdict of this regime, stated Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zurabishvili, in a statement.

According to Zurabishvili, such actions are solely a sign of the government’s weakness, and “on one hand, we must condemn this act, and at the same time, know that this is truly their verdict.”

“We cannot help but be alarmed by what happened in Kote Ioseliani’s case. This abduction and threats occurred because a person expressed an opinion, perhaps inappropriate, eight years ago, and today he is being punished because it concerned the naked king’s family. This is already the verdict of this regime. This regime shows us daily how frightened it is, how unstable it stands, and it no longer knows what to resort to in order to intimidate people, threaten them, or prohibit not only speaking, not only using certain words, but even writing something on Facebook. This is an attempt at total control. I think we have already reached the level of North Korea; I don’t know if such a level of control exists even there. This is solely a sign of weakness. No regime that has internal strength or even minimal support from its population—regardless of how dictatorial it may be—behaves this way or needs to behave this way. On one hand, we must condemn this act, and at the same time, know that this is truly their verdict,” Zurabishvili stated.

For context, Tina Bokuchava, leader of the “Unity National Movement,” stated that her husband, Kote Ioseliani, was ambushed by five masked individuals near their residential building’s entrance, attacked, and abducted. Bokuchava announced this at a briefing, responding to a video recorded by her husband in which he apologizes to Uta Ivanishvili.

According to Bokuchava, the abductors exerted pressure on her husband for eight hours and threatened the safety of their children.

Bokuchava noted that they suspect Kote Ioseliani was held for many hours in the so-called “module building.”

She further stated that the real reason for the incident was to intimidate and silence her.

As a reminder, yesterday Kote Ioseliani released a video apologizing to Bidzina Ivanishvili’s son, Uta Ivanishvili, for statements made about him several years ago.

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