German Ambassador Targeted in Verbal Attack by Alleged Georgian Dream Supporter in Batumi
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, May 22, 2025
German Ambassador to Georgia Peter Fischer was subjected to a verbal assault by an individual believed to be affiliated with the ruling Georgian Dream party during a visit to Batumi on May 18, the German Embassy confirmed in a statement to Formula TV.
The incident came to light after the pro-government outlet POSTV broadcast a video showing the man using explicit language and boasting about insulting the ambassador in public. The man, later identified in media reports as Mr. Kochiashvili, also posted a video to TikTok recounting the altercation and repeating offensive slurs directed at Fischer. In his video, he mocked the ambassador's title using a Russified term and claimed the diplomat should not have been allowed into Georgia, adding, "He should starve here." He also questioned why Fischer had not yet been expelled by the authorities.
In response, the German Embassy expressed appreciation to local residents who intervened. "The embassy confirms the incident and thanks the Georgians who witnessed it and stood up for the Ambassador as a guest in their city," the statement read. According to the embassy, after several bystanders condemned Kochiashvili's behavior, he promptly left the scene. No law enforcement officers were reportedly present at the time.
While opposition politicians have spoken out against the incident, denouncing it as both disrespectful and symptomatic of the country's deteriorating political climate, the Georgian Dream party has so far made no public comment.
Giorgi Vashadze, leader of the Strategy Aghmashenebeli party, condemned the episode as "shameful," "unacceptable," and emblematic of "anti-Georgia behavior." In a Facebook post, he wrote: "Not only was it a provocation, it was also an attack against a friend of the Georgian people, encouraged and organized by the regime, as evidenced by their propaganda circulating the incident. This is not an isolated case. It is the result of years of hatred, incitement against the West, targeted propaganda, and attempts to derail the country's European course."
Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the Lelo party, also criticized the verbal assault, calling it both a national embarrassment and a "crime" that warrants urgent response. "The government of Georgian Dream is directly responsible," he said in a social media post, "because its anti-Western rhetoric and propaganda provoked this incident."
