Public Defender: It is extremely important to establish all relevant circumstances related to the violence against Giorgi Bachiashvili, including the alleged participation of the prison administration in the criminal act

The Public Defender's Office is releasing information about the meeting between the former head of the Co-Investment Fund, who is in prison, and the Public Defender's representative.

As stated in the statement, Bachiashvili informed the Public Defender's Office about the details of the attack on July 12 and requested that the information not be made public until the public was informed about it by his lawyers.

According to them, the Public Defender's Office has already addressed the Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia, the Special Penitentiary Service, as well as the Medical Department of the Penitentiary Service and the administration of Penitentiary Institution No. 8 regarding the above-mentioned information.

“On July 12, 2025, Giorgi Bachiashvili, a convict placed in Penitentiary Institution No. 18, contacted the Public Defender’s Office and reported the inhuman treatment he had been subjected to.

The Public Defender’s representative immediately met and spoke with the convict in the penitentiary facility.

According to Giorgi Bachiashvili, on July 11, an unknown person entered the cell of Penitentiary Institution No. 8 and first verbally abused him, and then physically assaulted him. (Later, the institution’s administration reported that this person was a convict).

Giorgi Bachiashvili was transferred from the institution to a clinic and is currently being placed in medical facility No. 18. The convict requested the Public Defender’s Office not to disclose the relevant information until his lawyers would make it known to the public.

The Public Defender’s Office has already addressed the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia, the Special Penitentiary Service (for the purpose of archiving the relevant video recordings), the Medical Department of the Penitentiary Service, and the administration of Penitentiary Institution No. 8 with regard to the above-mentioned information.

The Public Defender emphasizes that it is extremely important to establish all relevant circumstances related to the violence within the framework of the investigation, including the alleged participation of the institution’s administration in any way in the criminal act, as well as to ensure the effective management of risks related to the convict’s safety.

The Public Defender's Office is in active communication with the convict's lawyers and will continue to monitor the protection of the prisoner's rights”, reads the statement.

For information, the former head of the Co-Investment Fund, Giorgi Bachiashvili, has released a letter from Gldani prison, where he describes the details of violence against him. As stated in Giorgi Bachiashvili's statement, the physical attack on him took place on July 11. According to his own information, on July 8, he was initially summoned by the head of Institution No. 8, Davit Gogoberishvili, and was advised to open all of his bank accounts, cryptocurrency transactions, and account addresses Bidzina Ivanishvili. On July 11, in the evening, an unknown person entered his cell and physically assaulted him.