Helsinki Commission: Georgian Dream relies on the money received from scam call centers
The U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, issued a statement on Platform X concerning the alleged use of illicit funds by the Georgian Dream party, which are reportedly sourced from fraudulent call centres.
“Georgian Dream relies on black money generated by a global network of fraudulent call centres to fund its operations and suppress its opposition,” the Helsinki Commission stated.
The Commission called on the U.S. State Department to take action against these call centres, which they claim are financing the Georgian Dream’s anti-democratic campaign against the people of Georgia.
This issue was also highlighted in a letter from US Congress members affiliated with the Helsinki Commission, who addressed the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on July 31. They demanded sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili and his close associates.
Georgian politicians reacted to the statement.
Natia Mezvrishvili, a leader of the For Georgia party, questioned why Georgian Dream has not investigated these allegations if they are not benefiting from this criminal money. She asked, “If they didn’t use this black money to bribe law enforcement during protests or for organized violence against citizens, then why are they protecting these criminals? Could it be because these call centres were used by Georgian Dream to intimidate their own people during rallies?”
Nika Melia, the leader of the Akhali party, emphasized that the connection between Georgian Dream and fraudulent call centers is evident, as even the United States is acknowledging it. He stated, “These people will inevitably face financial sanctions, sooner rather than later.”
On the other hand, representatives of the ruling party had a different perspective. Givi Mikanadze, a leader in the parliamentary majority, dismissed the accusations as blatant interference in the pre-election process. He argued, “No evidence has been provided, and therefore, this statement cannot be accepted. It seems to be a direct attempt to support the opposition parties.”
Aleko Elisashvili’s party joins the coalition “Strong Georgia”
On August 12, the Coalition Strong Georgia announced that Aleko Elisashvili’s party “Citizens” joined their political unity.
At the event, Elisashvili emphasized the importance of reconciliation over apologies, stating, “I know that our reconciliation and unity have upset our opponents but brought joy to our supporters, and this needs a bit of explanation. Mamuka and I had a very unpleasant incident once, which the whole of Georgia witnessed. Later, we met, discussed, and agreed that now is not the time for apologies, but for reconciliation. That’s why Mamuka and I put aside our differences, because we have no right to remain divided, especially after the harsh words we exchanged.”
On July 17, three opposition groups—Lelo for Georgia, Ana Dolidze’s party For the People, and the Freedom Square movement—announced their decision to unite ahead of the October elections.
According to the results of an Edison Research public opinion poll published on July 28, 12.8% of respondents support the Strong Georgia coalition (Effort/For the People/Freedom Square), while Aleko Elisashvili’s party Citizens has 2.2% support.
Journalistic investigation: “Ivanishvili’s family purchased property in Moscow in recent years”
The family of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder and honorary chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, owns property in Moscow, with some acquisitions made in recent years. This information was revealed in a joint investigative article prepared by several media outlets and non-governmental organizations, including OCCRP, iStories (Russia), GMC, “Studio Monitor,” and “Transparency International – Georgia.”
The article reports that Bidzina Ivanishvili’s family continued to expand their real estate holdings in Russia even after 2012. The most recent acquisition by the family was made in 2024, when Ivanishvili’s wife, Ekaterine Khvedelidze, purchased a 4,500 square metre plot of land on April 19. Prior to this, on September 28, 2021, Khvedelidze registered several other properties in Russia.
The report also highlights that the Ivanishvili family owns a residential house and three plots of land near Moscow, in the elite Peredelkino area, where the average value of real estate exceeds 14 million U.S. dollars.
Investigative journalists uncovered that properties owned by Ekaterine Khvedelidze and her son, Uta Ivanishvili, are rented out through the company “Aqua-Space,” with rental income being paid through the sanctioned Russian bank, VTB. Since January 2023, a Russian citizen named Andrey Pershin has been transferring 800,000 rubles (approximately 9,000 USD) almost every month to the Aqua-Space account. These payments continued until at least May 2024, amounting to approximately 94,000 USD received by Khvedelidze.
In response, Georgian Dream has dismissed the findings of the journalistic investigation, calling the claims about property purchases in Moscow a lie. The party maintains that Ivanishvili has not purchased any property in Russia since 1998.