Georgia says beating of Ivanishvili’s ex-partner in prison was staged

The beating of Giorgi Bachiashvili, a former business partner of Georgian billionaire and ruling party founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, inside a prison cell was a premeditated incident, according to the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG).

The SSG said in a statement that a former deputy director of the penitentiary service department had been detained in connection with the case, Caliber.Az reports via Georgian media.

“The investigation established that, according to a prearranged plan, the detained official brought two inmates into Bachiashvili’s cell with the intention that they would assault him. When that attempt failed, another prisoner was introduced,” the SSG said.

The agency added that Bachiashvili allegedly provoked a fight himself, after which reports of his beating appeared in the media.

According to the SSG, surveillance cameras installed above Bachiashvili’s cell were temporarily switched off on the orders of the detained prison official.

Giorgi Bachiashvili has claimed he was beaten in prison — an allegation the authorities deny.

Convicted of stealing cryptocurrency from Ivanishvili, Bachiashvili sent a letter accusing the prison administration of orchestrating the attack. The Special Penitentiary Service dismissed his claims, saying an altercation between inmates on 11 July left two prisoners injured.

Officials said Bachiashvili received medical care, was briefly treated at the Vivamedi clinic, and later moved to the prison hospital for observation. The Justice Ministry’s investigative unit has opened an inquiry into the incident.

By Aghakazim Guliyev