Jailed ex-PM: I am not fighting against anyone; I am defending myself and my family; I will be compelled to respond to every step you take

“I appeal to the government: you orchestrated a dirty provocation and set a trap cowardly. I trusted you, honestly and blindly. But you deceived me and betrayed me,” wrote jailed ex-Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili in his Facebook post.

“I heard the remarks of the government representatives, false and slanderous statements of their experts. I follow propaganda on TV and social media. All this was expected, and their goals are obvious. But I tell you that your efforts are futile. Mdinaradze handed over this letter by his close friend to my family member. This individual found himslf in a in this trouble by chance; therefore, I am deliberately withholding his name and surname. As for Mdinaradze, if he does not wish to harm innocent people, he should stop spreading lies and take full responsibility.

I would like to remind society that I have been silent in prison for 8 months. No one has heard a word uttered by me publicly. I have not taken any step either to the right or to the left. Now, I appeal to the government: you orchestrated a dirty provocation and set a trap cowardly. I trusted you, honestly and blindly. But you deceived me and betrayed me.

You intruded into my house as if I were a burglar or perpetrator. You intimidated my family, my wife and children. You intruded into the house of my parents and my in-laws… I bore all this terrible pain and tragedy, everything, patiently and silently within my heart, driven by my twenty-year relationship with Bidzina Ivanishvili and the immense love, respect, boundless gratitude, and absolute loyalty I felt for him.

Also, for the sake of our political team and our country’s interests. I bore this burden silently and went on a sacrifice staged by you. As a consequence, you sent me behind bars for a 5-year term because of the false perceptions, fabrications, envy, fears, and suspicions harbored by a specific group within the team; you imprisoned me for absolutely no reason.

You do not leave me in peace in jail, came with this letter and a request to admit a corruption charge, with the reason to ensure 1% risk to distance me from politics forever. Immoral blackmail and pressure accompanied all this, and this is the second hint about arresting my 75-year-old father.

You have reached deep layers of my heart and soul; you have literally “blown me up” and left me no other choice… I am not fighting against anyone; I am defending myself and my family. Therefore, for every move you make, I will be compelled to respond.

As for your organised slanderous campaign in the social networks or on TV, false narratives or viewpoints of your experts and speakers, I will tell you: be careful; soon you will be ashamed of your statements when I share my truth.

You all know me well. I am the same Irakli Gharibashvili I was, with a clean heart and commitment, as I served our homeland, all of you and the entire team. Your efforts are futile in making a traitor of the country, the team and Bidzina Ivanishvili. I will not ally with evil. I have never acted or will go against my country, so stop and stay silent!

In the end, I will say it explicitly. I fight with no one and against nobody. I am defending myself and my family,” he wrote.