According to MP Givi Mikanadze, a group consisting of opposition politicians and NGO representatives was actively communicating with various political groups and individual politicians in the corridors of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), urging them not to recognize the credentials of Georgia’s parliamentary delegation.

He named the individuals involved as Tina Bokuchava, Salome Samadashvili, Giorgi Kandelaki, Zurab Tchiaberashvili, Zurab “Girchi” Japaridze, Nino Dolidze, Nona Kurdovanidze, Giorgi Burjanadze, Tina Khidasheli, and a representative from Transparency International Georgia, Mr. Oniani. According to Mikanadze, these individuals maintained maximum communication with political groups such as ALDE and the European People's Party, and had already coordinated with them days before the Assembly began.

Mikanadze emphasized during a session of the temporary investigative commission that this delegation — which was not part of the official Georgian delegation — sought to damage the country’s image by pushing for the Assembly not to recognize the newly elected Georgian Parliament’s delegation.

“In Strasbourg, their main goal was to block recognition of the mandate of Georgia’s newly elected parliamentary delegation. They didn’t even try to hide it — specific politicians openly stated that their aim was for PACE to refuse to recognize Georgia’s delegation,” said Mikanadze.

According to him, the Georgian delegation had to participate in PACE as the first international platform after the 2024 parliamentary elections. “An unprecedented mobilization took place on the part of radical groups, certain politicians, and NGO representatives, who were present not as official participants but with guest status,” he added.

Mikanadze noted that the delegation opposing Georgia’s mandate was even invited to attend political group gatherings, where they were given opportunities to spread disinformation. “Some of them even met with the President and Secretary General of PACE, where they categorically pushed the agenda that Georgia’s delegation should not be recognized.”

He further stated that government delegates were privately and directly told that there was only one real item on the agenda — whether to recognize or not the new delegation appointed by the Georgian Parliament.

“We clearly saw that the individuals I mentioned were working actively toward that goal. This was particularly evident during the Monitoring Committee meeting. Although neither I nor the head of our delegation are members of that committee, our head of delegation was invited to attend since the issue concerned Georgia. To our surprise, Tina Bokuchava was also invited, despite there being no legal basis for this. While the delegation head presented our official position, he also had to listen to the entirely disinformation-based claims made by Bokuchava,” said Mikanadze.

“She openly declared that Georgia is under Russian rule, that urgent measures must be taken, and that it would be a great insult to PACE if it even conditionally recognized the mandate of Georgia’s permanent delegation,” he concluded.