Violent Incident at Tbilisi Airport: Gakharia and Khokrishvili Targeted Upon Return from Munich Security Conference
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Giorgi Gakharia, leader of the Gakharia for Georgia party, and former Ambassador to Germany Elguja Khokrishvili were confronted by a violent group upon returning to Georgia from the Munich Security Conference early this morning. The pair, arriving at Tbilisi International Airport, were met by what the party describes as a "pre-organized, pre-prepared party Sondergroup".
Footage from several media outlets shows a crowd surrounding the two politicians, with individuals filming the incident on their mobile phones. Shouts could be heard, including insults directed at the men: "Are you no longer funded by USAID?" and "Are you no longer a traitor, an unprincipled agent?" The situation escalated when eggs were thrown at Gakharia and Khokrishvili within the airport.
The Gakharia for Georgia party issued a statement on social media, condemning the attack and accusing the government of orchestrating it: "Today, at dawn, upon returning to Georgia from the Munich Security Conference, Giorgi Gakharia and Elguja Khokrishvili were met at Tbilisi International Airport by Ivanishvili's pre-organized Sondergroup, aided by the inaction of police who were also warned in advance," the party wrote.
They went on to criticize the incident, calling it a sign of an "uncontrollable" and "violent" regime. The statement continued, "It is understandable that Ivanishvili is frightened by the results of the Munich Security Conference, and this hysteria is also caused by this. Our political force will do everything to make Ivanishvili lose what is most precious to him - money and power, so that he can never again use violence against the Georgian people."
