Civil society, opposition urge to investigate alleged crime after TV Pirveli airs covert audio tapes involving Georgian PM

Civil society organisations including the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), Transparency International Georgia and the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) call for investigation into the alleged violation by state officials after TV Pirveli media outlet aired covert phone conversation between Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Bera Ivanishvili - the son of the former ruling Georgian Dream party chair Bidzina Ivanishvili. 

In the audio tapes aired by TV Pirveli yesterday, Bera Ivanishvili is allegedly speaking with PM Garibashvili and current head of the special state protection service of Georgia Anzor Chubinidze. 

Although the tape does not indicate the exact date of the conversations, EMC considers it was made when the involved individuals were holding official positions.

EMC said in its statement that the above audio shows ‘informal, undemocratic practice of governing the state under the Georgian Dream government and the extremely severe forms of dismantling state institutions’.

At first glance the audio recording is illegal, however, the information that it contains points at various violent crimes, allegedly involving high-ranking political figures. That is why it has become a subject of public and media interest and it needs timely legal and political evaluation and response”, EMC said. 

TV Pirveli claims that in the phone conversation aired yesterday, Bera Ivanishvili is discussing with Garibashvili the alleged violence against minors who had assaulted him on Facebook.

In particular, Ivanishvili was allegedly telling Garibashvili how some of the minors in various districts of Tbilisi have been bullied and threatened for assaulting Bera and how someone named Anzor was in charge of fulfilling his orders, while Garibashvili was encouraging him.

Civic activists marched to Bidzina Ivanishvili's business center earlier today in protest. Photo: Gela Bochikashvili/RFERL

Opposition parties, including the United National Movement, European Georgia and Lelo demand PM Garibashvili’s resignation after TV Pirveli media outlet aired the covert audio tapes. 

Lelo released a statement yesterday saying that the audio tapes contain ‘the signs of the heaviest organised crime’. Therefore, Lelo demands immediate probe into the alleged cases of violence as well as the resignation of Irakli Garibashvili and Anzor Chubinidze. 

Claiming the audio tapes have been ‘fabricated’ ruling Georgian Dream party leaders says they aim to ‘terrorise’ and misinform the society.

Ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze wrote on Facebook that the opposition, which aims to ‘disrupt negotiations, revenge, overthrow the state and seizure the power’, stands behind the publication of the falsified audio tapes ‘to anger people’.  

Nevertheless (considering public interest and a clear position of our western partners, whom we appreciate a lot)... We expect them to make at least one of their compromising offers at the negotiation table”, Mdinaradze said. 

He further noted that the country keeps on ‘a stable, democratic development and aspiration for full-fledged membership of European family’.