TBILISI, October 10 – Former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia, one of the most controversial figures from ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili’s government, spoke defiantly to reporters after being questioned Friday at the Criminal Police Department in Tbilisi.
Akhalaia, who was summoned for questioning on Thursday in connection with an unspecified criminal investigation, dismissed the process as a “farce” and said he would not take part in what he described as a politically motivated spectacle.
“Does an attorney exist? Does a court exist? Does the law exist? Nothing exists, so I will not participate in this farce,” Akhalaia said, claiming there is no functioning justice system in Georgia.
Akhalaia said he returned to Georgia “several months ago” and has been under constant surveillance since, but insisted he has “nothing to hide.” “I have lived openly, freely, and only the constant observation caused discomfort for my children,” he said.
The former minister also alleged that Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, had warned opponents to either leave the country or face imprisonment. “It’s not just me,” he said. “Ivanishvili has sent word to everyone, either you go to prison, you leave the country, or you’re crushed.”
Earlier in the day, Akhalaia criticized the government’s handling of the October 4 unrest, describing it as “a primitive propaganda operation.” He defended the arrested protest organizers, including Paata Burchuladze and Murtaz Zodelava, calling them “patriotic citizens” who led a “peaceful uprising.”
Akhalaia, who once served as defense and interior minister under Saakashvili, was a key enforcer during his administration and later jailed for his role in the 2006 prison abuse scandal. After spending years behind bars, he has remained a polarizing figure.
