George Bachiashvili is A 39-year-old Georgian citizen.
He refused to be silent about corruption and Russian interference in his homeland.
kidnapped and flown 1,360 MILES, George now faces Prison and torture.
As an entrepreneur and investor, George Bachiashvili has helped to bring his country financial modernity and prosperity.
While abroad, George was kidnapped in broad daylight and trafficked illegally across several countries. He has since been jailed on fabricated charges, and faces torture.
All because he stood up to Bidzina Ivanishvili: Putin’s puppet and Georgia’s most powerful oligarch.
Timeline
Want a short overview instead? Click below.
2011: A PROMISING START
2011–2017: As a leader within the community of western-educated young professionals in Georgia, George believed that democratic and ethical values would improve life for a new generation of Georgians.
After obtaining his MBA, George was named in Forbes’ international “30 Under 30” list and became a Millennium Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He then built a successful career in finance, holding positions at the Abu Dhabi Group and Bank of Georgia. George also served as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Georgian Stock Exchange and later co-founded the Georgian Co-Investment Fund, Georgia’s largest private equity fund.
2013: a dangerous aquaintance
Bidzina (Boris) Ivanishvili, a Russian-Georgian oligarch, was alarmed by the growing influence and independence of western-leaning elites such as George, and sought to gain control by involving George in his own business interests. Ivanishvili profited from George’s financial skill. But, more importantly, he maintained control over George.
2022: George speaks out
February 2022: George spoke out publicly, condemning Russian aggression globally and within Georgia. He noted that increased Russian interference, as well as Ivanishvili’s leadership, was making Georgia a Russian puppet state. And he openly criticized Ivanishvili’s pro-Russian stance and links to Kremlin corruption.
Consequently, Boris Ivanishvili borrowed from the Kremlin playbook of fabricating criminal cases, and threatened to use his influence over the legal system to force George into political submission.
“You had better behave, or I’ll show you how I dealt with criminals in Russia.”
BORIS IVANISHVILI, PHONE CALL TO GEORGE, APRIL 2022
2023: THE WRATH OF A MONSTER
January 2023: Georgia suffered unrest and civilian resistance in the face of Ivanishvili’s increasingly totalitarian regime. Despite the leader’s threats against him, George refused to be silent. So, Ivanishvili announced false embezzlement charges against him.
Ivanishvili now leads a self-serving authoritarian system that protects his fortune, silences dissent, advances his interests, and enables money laundering and trafficking schemes that serve the Kremlin.
"Everything is under control."
BORIS IVANISHVILI, 2024
2025: THE FLIGHT TO FREEDOM
March 2025: Two days before he’d be forced to attend a corrupt trial and receive a verdict condemning him to imprisonment, George fled his country in the trunk of a car. Fleeing was his only chance to eventually prove his innocence. In Georgia, a rigged trial would have persecuted him for his political views. In fleeing, George made a powerful statement about the rise of corruption and Russian interference in Georgia. He hoped to leave Georgia and achieve political asylum. He was desperate to prove his innocence and achieve legal recourse.
2025: The Abduction
May 2025: On his way to meet with legal counsel to claim asylum, George was attacked. A black handbag was forced over his head. He was blindfolded and shoved into an unmarked vehicle. After his kidnappers trafficked him across the border, George was flown back to Tbilisi on a jet that was chartered by the Georgian government. George never had an extradition hearing, nor did he experience due process.
Now:
Today: George sits in a Georgian prison, at risk of torture, facing up to 12 years in prison on completely falsified charges. Ivanishvili and the Georgian government continue to deny George the right to legal recourse, and have seized his personal wealth and assets.
How you can help George in the global fight for democracy...
A global call for justice
- The immediate release of George Bachiashvili.
- Sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili in the UK and EU, as well as seizure of his assets.
- An independent, international review of George’s case.
- Accountability for those who ordered and carried out his illegal rendition.
do you think Putin's puppet should be allowed to hold foreign assets after what he did to George?
#freegeorge
Media Coverage
Get updates on #freegeorge
Sign up to get regular updates on George's fight for freedom. We won't share your details.
Copyright © 2025 Free George - All Rights Reserved.