The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday that it had uncovered a plot to assassinate Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Ivanishvili is widely believed to hold significant influence over the country's politics.
Details of the Conspiracy
The SSSG revealed that the assassination attempt was organized and financed by former high-ranking Georgian government officials and law enforcement officers from Ukraine.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities examining the links and motives behind the plot.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze linked the plot to the same "global political forces" that he claimed had previously targeted Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Mamuka Mamulashvili, the head of the Georgian Legion fighting alongside the Armed Forces of Ukraine, told independent outlet The Insider that about 300 of his fighters were now wanted in connection with the alleged assassination plot in Georgia.
“This was done so the Georgian government had grounds to arrest us. The Russian and Georgian secret services now work hand-in-hand. Many of our guys who’d returned to Georgia were advised by the Georgian secret services to leave,” Mamulashvili said.
Political Climate in Georgia
Since being granted European Union candidate status in 2023, Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party has increasingly aligned itself with Russia.
The party has introduced controversial legislation similar to Russia’s "foreign agents" law and implemented several anti-LGBT measures, leading the EU to suspend Georgia’s accession process earlier this month.
The Georgian Dream party also played a key role in the imprisonment of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili.
Saakashvili, who left Georgia after his presidency ended in 2013, returned in 2021 and was subsequently tried and jailed on charges that many believe were politically motivated.
