Former Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli warns that internal conflicts within the Georgian Dream party have reached a critical point, and even former Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili may face arrest.
Speaking on BMGTV, Khidasheli described the recent wounding of Adjara’s ex-leader Tornike Rizhvadze and a string of high-profile arrests as part of a broader campaign of political retribution within the ruling party.
“The country is run by gangsters. They’re not even smart enough to create believable stories,” she said. “What’s happening is a message to everyone inside Georgian Dream: no one is safe.”
Khidasheli believes Bidzina Ivanishvili is behind the crackdown, narrowing his inner circle amid fears of international sanctions targeting politicians, businessmen, and propagandists.
“They’ll go after Gharibashvili too,” she claimed. “The process has started, and it won’t stop here.”
She also dismissed the government’s anti-corruption rhetoric as a cover for punishing disobedient insiders.
“They don’t see corruption now any more than they did before,” she explained. “They only see it when it serves a purpose, when there’s someone to punish or remove for disobedience. Meanwhile, plenty remains ‘settled’ behind the scenes.”
Khidasheli's remarks paint a picture of a ruling party in crisis, fractured by internal rivalries, driven by fear of sanctions, and ruled by an increasingly authoritarian hand. If her predictions hold true, Georgia may be on the verge of another turbulent political chapter, with implications reaching far beyond party lines.
