You might think that a democratic government would be rather upset to find out that a foreign adversary had plotted to assassinate one of its prominent journalists.
Not in Georgia, it seems.
Facing highly credible accusations that Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov deployed a hit squad to kill journalist Giorgi Gabunia, the government in Tbilisi is acting as if nothing has happened. Kadyrov had previously threatened Gabunia after the latter’s July 2019 TV rant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. But this week, the Georgian security service confirmed that it had detained a Russian man in connection with a contract killing plot. Georgian media have confirmed that man’s identity and that he was surveilled and arrested after Ukraine shared intelligence that indicated a Kadyrov-directed threat to Gabunia’s life.
The Georgia Dream-led government, however, doesn’t seem very concerned. President Salome Zourabichvili actually suggests she has a responsibility to do nothing.
“I’m the president,” she explained. “I do not have any right to blame other countries, as long as we do not know what happened … that there are too many suspicious questions.” Adding to the silliness, the chairman of the judiciary committee suggested that this might be a plot from within the opposition parties.
If these politicians hope their conciliatory positions will earn Kadyrov’s gratitude (and that of his handler, Putin), they will be sorely disappointed. Kadyrov, predictably, doesn’t share Tbilisi’s appeasement-minded attitude.
Taking to Telegram, the Chechen leader doubled down on his threat to Gabunia. “Gentlemen, believe me,” the gangster warlord warned, “if someone acts on my instructions, he will fulfill it, and if the task must be performed quietly, then no one, and even more so, your countries in deep stagnation will not know about it.”
Here we see the prideful anger that his plot has been defeated. But then came the pledge of an unsettled blood feud.
“I emphasize that we have not forgotten about how he insulted our State, our People, and, therefore, personally me. Georgy Gabunia, as I said earlier, it is better to kneel down and ask for forgiveness, apologize for what happened. He insulted not one person, but all Russians. I appeal to the Georgian authorities to take measures conducive to the re-education of this citizen. I recommend that he draw the right conclusions and put his mind in order. Otherwise, I repeat, he will remain my enemy.”
Translation: Gabunia must beg Kadyrov for his life or face it taken.
But it wasn’t only Gabunia and Georgia in Kadyrov’s Telegram targeting sights. The Chechen cat lover also lambasted the Georgian government. And Ukraine, which is believed to have warned Georgia of the plot, also came under fire.
“As for the Ukrainian side, which allegedly transmitted information about the assassination customer,” Kadyrov continued, “I want to advise you to behave more seriously for the future, and not for the amusement of the public. Run such news at least with evidence. … By the way, you owe me this PR. Remember this! The time will come, we will present the bill. By all means!”
Kadyrov isn’t exactly eating humble pie here.
Regardless, this is a very sorry state of affairs. Kowtowing to a killer, Georgia is only encouraging further aggression from said killer and Putin. Considering Russia already occupies significant areas of Georgian territory, this appeasement strategy is not a very clever one, to say the least. The only language Kadyrov understands is resolve.
With that in mind, the U.S. Congress should ascertain the facts here. And if they do indeed point to Kadyrov’s assassination plot, Congress should impose secondary sanctions on the Chechen leader.
