Georgian Dream releases extensive 470-page document implicating Saakashvili in criminal acts and alleged provocation of the 2008 war

In a significant development, a parliamentary commission headed by Tea Tsulukiani has released a comprehensive report spanning the period from 2003 to the present day, detailing alleged crimes committed by the United National Movement (UNM) and its leader, Mikheil Saakashvili. The report, totalling 471 pages, has stirred controversy and debate within Georgia and the international community.

The report accuses Saakashvili and his government of various transgressions, including politically motivated torture, inhumane treatment, and murder of prisoners, as well as acts of violence, rape, and murder committed by representatives of the UNM. Furthermore, it claims that the UNM arbitrarily targeted people accused of espionage, treason, or being Russian agents.

The commission's work and other parliamentary activities have been carried out by Georgian Dream amid an opposition boycott of parliament. This boycott, which began in 2024, includes representatives from opposition parties, participants in ongoing protests, public figures such as the still incumbent President Salome Surabishvili, numerous government officials who have publicly opposed the suspension of EU accession talks, and universities and other institutions that support the protests calling for EU integration.

The report also suggests that Georgia may have been responsible for provoking the August 2008 War, a claim that has sparked debate and criticism. Critics argue that this downplays Russia's responsibility for the war.

In addition, the report accuses Saakashvili of acting against the peace process and violating Georgia's territorial integrity, creating a legal pretext for Russia to 'violate Georgia's territorial integrity in 2008'. It also details the UNM's violation of the right to privacy through secret and illegal surveillance and eavesdropping on civil society members, opposition figures, and state employees.

The commission accuses TBC, a bank owned by opposition party Lelo leaders, of participating in the UNM's racketeering schemes. Notably, at least six major opposition leaders have been jailed for refusing to appear before the commission, and both Mamuka Khazaraze and Badri Japaridze are currently serving time for the same offence.

The Georgian Dream government's adoption of repressive legislation and crackdown on pro-EU protesters has been a subject of criticism by the EU and the West. Brussels has repeatedly warned that Georgian Dream's anti-Western trajectory is incompatible with EU integration. In July, the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said the EU was sending a letter concerning the possible suspension of Georgia's visa-free access to the bloc.

The Caucasus region's independent journalism is under threat, with at least 16 people being detained during a protest against the anti-opposition commission. The report is based on official records, court decisions, government documentation, parliamentary materials, archival research, witness testimonies, and media archives.

Former Georgian Dream Prime Minister and current opposition leader Giorgi Gakharia is under investigation for establishing a checkpoint in Chorchana, near South Ossetia during his tenure as interior minister in 2019. The 'radical opposition' has been a significant obstacle to the establishment of a healthy political system in Georgia since 2012, according to the report.

The publication of this report is likely to fuel the ongoing political divide in Georgia and will undoubtedly have implications for the country's relationship with the EU and the West.

Georgian Dream releases extensive 470-page document implicating Saakashvili in criminal acts and alleged provocation of the 2008 war