The Daily Beat: 9 June

Tina Bokuchava, chairwoman of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party, said her husband was abducted and forced to release a video apology to Uta Ivanishvili, son of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, for 2018 claims about his sexuality. For more details on Ioseliani’s alleged abduction and his seven-year-old remarks about Uta Ivanishvili’s sexual orientation, read our story.  

Giorgi Bachiashvili, the jailed former head of the Co-Investment Fund and one-time close associate of Bidzina Ivanishvili, claimed that Anri Okhanashvili, the head of Georgia’s State Security Service, was aboard the aircraft that “illegally brought” him back to Georgia. Bachiashvili, who fled Georgia in March, was arrested near Georgia’s so-called “green border” with Armenia and Azerbaijan on May 27.

On June 10, Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced a major reshuffle that included several high-level promotions, departmental changes, and, primarily, the transfer of regional police chiefs. These changes follow the appointment of Gela Geladze as the Minister of Internal Affairs. Geladze succeeded Vakhtang Gomelauri, who had held prominent positions within the Georgian Dream party for the past decade. 

The Education Ministry’s Inclusive Education Division, seen as vital in promoting access to education for students with special needs, will no longer operate independently and will instead merge with the Ministry’s Strategic Planning Department. The move comes as part of a wider “reorganization” of ministries by the Georgian Dream government.

From June 2 to 4, the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) from the EU, the UN, and the OSCE visited Tbilisi, Tskhinvali, and Sukhumi, holding meetings in preparation for the 64th round of talks, scheduled for June 25–26.

The Data of the Day

Foreign direct investment in Georgia reached USD 179.4 million in the first quarter of 2025, representing a 7.7% decrease compared to the same period last year, as reported by the National Statistics Office (Geostat) on June 9. Geostat attributed this decline to reductions in equity and debt instruments.