‘Disgraceful filthy foreign agent’: Kobakhidze launches harsh attack on Saakashvili

The Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, has accused the country's former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, of unleashing an armed conflict in August 2008, labeling him a ‘disgraceful filthy foreign agent’ on the 18th anniversary of the start of the war with Russia. Speaking after a ceremony to lay flowers at the Mukhatgverdi Brotherhood Cemetery, Kobakhidze stated that the responsibility for the start of the war lies with 'Saakashvili’s bloody regime.'

‘We blame the bloody regime of Saakashvili for the start of the war. At that time, the country had a nominally treacherous commander-in-chief... Saakashvili is a disgraceful filthy foreign agent,’ the Prime Minister remarked. Additionally, he accused Saakashvili of trying to appropriate the heroism of the Georgian soldiers who died in the war.

Kobakhidze dismissed allegations that the current government's statements could tarnish Georgia and its servicemen. He stated that the 'Georgian Dream' government has defended the honor of Georgian soldiers on the international stage, including in courts in The Hague and Strasbourg. According to him, the authorities have successfully proven that ‘Georgian soldiers did not commit war crimes.’

At the same time, Kobakhidze emphasized that the accountability of the former government does not absolve Russia of its responsibility for the ongoing occupation of Georgian territories. ‘Russia has occupied 20 percent of Georgian territories, and, of course, the treachery of Saakashvili, his regime, and the “National Movement” cannot cover up this crime... On one hand, there was the treachery of Saakashvili and his regime, and on the other, the occupation carried out by the Russian Federation. The main thing is that we properly evaluate both facts,’ the Prime Minister declared.

Furthermore, Kobakhidze questioned the legitimacy of Saakashvili's rule, claiming that the early presidential elections in January 2008 were ‘systematically falsified.’ 'Mikheil Saakashvili falsified the 2008 presidential elections. Mikheil Saakashvili came to power through fraud as a foreign agent imposed on the country,' he said.

To reinforce his stance, the Prime Minister again referenced the resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) in October 2008. ‘The resolution states that the conflict entered a phase of large-scale military operations after the shelling of Tskhinvali. Large-scale military operations mean war; the transformation of the conflict into war means that Saakashvili’s regime started the war,’ Kobakhidze stated.

The PACE resolution dedicated to the consequences of the war between Georgia and Russia notes that on August 7, 2008, Georgian forces began shelling Tskhinvali without warning, using heavy weapons, which was characterized as ‘disproportionate use of force.’ At the same time, supporters of Saakashvili point out that the document considers the conflict in the context of Russia’s long-standing actions. They also emphasize that PACE officially recognized the fact of Russian occupation at the international level for the first time, condemned Moscow's recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and placed responsibility on Russia for ethnic cleansing.