Honorary GD Chair Ivanishvili says despite being “sanctioned” he is “very well”, returning to politics to further help Georgia
Answering the journalist's question, if “fearing the sanctions” played a role in his decision to return to politics, Ivanishvili stressed he had no fear as he “has been sanctioned for a long time”. Photo via Georgian Dream press office
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Bidzina Ivanishvili, the newly elected honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, the former Prime Minister and the founder of the GD party, on Saturday said despite “being de-facto sanctioned” in the “harshest ways” and by “bypassing all the laws”, he was doing “very well” and was returning to politics to further help Georgia.
In his comments to the media after the congress meeting of the ruling party, Ivanishvili noted his assets were unlawfully frozen within a month following the war in Ukraine, and emphasised he had been “fighting” in courts over these illegal acts.
Ivanishvili’s assets were frozen by Swiss bank Credit Suisse, against which the former PM has made several criminal complaints, suing Credit Suisse’s Bermuda subsidiary in a trial at the country’s Supreme Court in November and December 2021.
He has won a long-running battle with the bank to reclaim funds stolen by a former employee of the Swiss bank in March 2022.
Answering the journalist's question, if “fearing the sanctions” played a role in his decision to return to politics, Ivanishvili stressed he had no fear as he “has been sanctioned for a long time”.
Being asked about the domestic political situation in the country, Ivanishvili evaluated the recent steps of Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili by saying “Today Zourabichvili clearly appears to be a supporter of the [domestic] opposition. It was her choice”.
He also told journalists that he would not be running for the position of the PM, stressing the country’s incumbent Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili would not change, while also noting his return to politics would not bring changes to the Government or the ruling party.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Wednesday said the stance of the Credit Suisse investment bank with regards to the former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili was “undoubtedly absurd” and “an attempt to exert political influence” on him by “creating financial problems”.
The Supreme Court of Bermuda has ordered a local life insurance subsidiary of Credit Suisse to pay $607,33 million in damages to plaintiffs, including the former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who won a long-running battle with Credit Suisse in March to reclaim funds stolen by a former employee of the Swiss bank, AP News reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the case.
Former Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has won a long-running battle with Credit Suisse to reclaim funds stolen by a former employee of the Swiss bank, Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing people with knowledge of the case.
The founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the former Prime Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili, who left politics in January 2021, said on Wednesday the United States Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan had requested a meeting with him in March of this year, shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the two holding a three-hour discussion.
The representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Saturday highlighted the importance of the return of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former Prime Minister and founder of the GD party, to politics, who earlier today was elected the honorary Chair of the party.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling party, on Saturday said the Georgian Government would fulfil its duty to ensure and guarantee the well-being of its citizens, de-occupation of the country, reconciliation, maintaining peace and developing Georgia, “more successfully” together with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the former Prime Minister and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, who was elected the honorary Chair of the GD party earlier that day.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday claimed the decision of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the former Prime Minister, in December to return to politics as the party’s Honorary Chair had caused “distress” among domestic opposition.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Saturday said the return of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the former Prime Minister, to politics in December as the party’s Honorary Chair was creating “a huge potential” for the success of the GD party.