Levan Varshalomidze, a UNM politician, was detained in Kazakhstan reportedly at Russia’s request but was later released. The UNM claims he faces unsubstantiated allegations from Russia regarding military involvement in Ukraine. His political background includes serving as adjutant governor in Georgia and roles in Ukraine’s government, further complicating responses to accusations from Moscow.
The opposition party, United National Movement (UNM), reports that one of its politicians, Levan Varshalomidze, was briefly detained at a Kazakhstan airport while crossing the border. The party attributes this detention to a request made by Russian authorities. Varshalomidze was released by Wednesday afternoon, with expected ongoing legal processes, as confirmed by Levan Antadze, head of the UNM’s Batumi branch.
Varshalomidze, an ally of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, served as the head of the government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara during the UNM’s tenure from 2004 to 2012. He also held multiple state positions in Ukraine under the administrations of Presidents Poroshenko and Zelenskyi, including his appointment as head of Ukraine’s Investment Fund in 2020.
UNM members indicating the nature of Varshalomidze’s detention noted that a criminal case had been initiated against him in Russia, which claimed he participated in combat operations in Ukraine. Gia Baramidze, a party member, contested these allegations, asserting that Varshalomidze’s involvement was strictly non-military, stating, “[Varshalomidze] helped Ukraine a lot as the head of the investment council, but he did not participate in military actions.”
Additionally, Russian media previously reported that Varshalomidze was among a list of 100 Georgian citizens for whom Moscow had issued search warrants linked to supposed mercenary activities. Tina Bokuchava, another UNM member, highlighted his contributions to both Georgia and Ukraine, implying that these actions led to Russian persecution.
Antadze noted that Varshalomidze engaged legal representation and suggested that both the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ukrainian government were coordinating with Kazakh authorities during this incident. No official comment from the Georgian Foreign Ministry has been made available at this time regarding the matter. Recently, Varshalomidze was politically active within Georgia, becoming a member of parliament in 2020 but later resigned in protest of the official results from the 2021 local elections. He also contested for leadership within the UNM but lost to Nika Melia.
The brief detention of Levan Varshalomidze underscores ongoing geopolitical tensions and highlights the challenges facing Georgian politicians in relation to Russian authorities. These developments illustrate Varshalomidze’s significant political involvement in both Georgia and Ukraine, as well as the potential ramifications of these involvements. The UNM continues to advocate for him, asserting his innocence against Russian accusations and seeking support through diplomatic channels.
Original Source: oc-media.org
