Sanctioned former Georgian prosecutor general seen at Moscow Victory Day parade

Otar Partskhaladze, a US-sanctioned former Georgian prosecutor general, was seen at Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May, leading to speculation amongst Georgia’s opposition that Partskhaladze had taken part in the parade as a ‘de facto ambassador’ of the ruling party.

On 10 May, the opposition-aligned TV channel Pirveli reported that Partskhaladze was seen the day prior alongside a leader of the pro-Russian Solidarity for Peace party, Mamuka Pipia, at the parade in Moscow that commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II,

Partskhaladze, who holds Russian citizenship, briefly served as Georgia’s general prosecutor in late-2013. He has previously been accused of violence and involvement in extortion on behalf of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili — who himself is also subject to US sanctions.

Partskhaladze was sanctioned in September 2023 for ‘operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of Russia’s economy, and in relation to Russia’s ‘malign influence’ on Georgia.

At the time of his sanctioning, then US Secretary of State Antony Blinken described Partskhaladze as a ‘Georgian–Russian oligarch whom the FSB has leveraged to influence Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia’.

In the weeks following his sanctioning by the US, Georgia’s National Bank suspended Partskhaladze’s accounts — a decision that was promptly reversed following statements by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze saying that the National Bank’s decision directly contradicted Georgia’s constitution, and ‘in particular […] the presumption of innocence’.

Speaking to Pirveli on Saturday, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) confirmed that Partskhaladze had attended the parade.

His attendance was slammed by opposition figures, who deemed it as an extension of Georgian Dream’s anti-Western stances and policies.

According to Pirveli, Irakli Kupradze, one of the leaders of the Strong Georgia opposition group, said that Partskhaladze’s participation in the parade ‘is factual evidence that Bidzina Ivanishvili is governed from the Kremlin, he receives orders and serves the interests of the Kremlin [and Russian President Vladimir Putin]’.

Irakli Pavlenishvili, a member of the Unity — National Movement group also said that Partskhaladze had participated in the parade as a ‘representative of the Ivanishvili regime’.

‘It was once again proven what a close bond there is between the Putin regime and the Ivanishvili regime. We can say that the Ivanishvili regime is a branch of the Putin regime’, Pavlenishvili said.

Following the announcement of US sanctions on Partskhaladze, the Georgian government moved to strip him of his Georgian citizenship. The decision to strip him of his Georgian passport came days after then President Salome Zourabichvili challenged the government as to why Partskhaladze still held a Georgian passport after acquiring a Russian one, and over seven months after Georgian media reported the issue. Georgian citizens may only hold dual citizenship if granted permission by the country’s president.

RFE/RL reported in October 2023 that Zourabichvili had revoked Partskhaladze’s Georgian citizenship.

On 7 May, two days ahead of his participation in Russia’s Victory Day parade alongside Partskhaladze, Mamuka Pipia’s pro-Russian Solidarity for Peace party held a conference in Tbilisi’s Ambassador Hotel discussing Georgia’s relations with Russia.

In a joint resolution following the conference, the party declared that it ‘positively assesses and welcomes Georgia’s foreign policy, and at the same time, we consider it necessary for our government to initiate direct dialogue with the government of the Russian Federation’, and that it supports declaring Georgia a militarily neutral country.

According to Netgazeti, the resolution was signed by Fridon Injia, a former MP from the Georgian Dream-allied party, the European Socialists, his son, Ilia Injia, an MP belonging who ran with Georgian Dream in the October 2024 elections; Nana Kakabadze, member of United Neutral Georgia; and Tristan Tsitelashvili, a colonel who was arrested on espionage charges during the United National Movement’s rule.

TV Pirveli has reported that the meeting was also attended by Georgian Dream general secretary and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze’s brother-in-law, Paata Abuladze.

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OC MediaNate Ostiller