MP Beselia Speaks of ‘Moral Terror’ After Alleged Sex Tape Leak

Senior Georgian Dream lawmaker, Eka Beselia calls on the law enforcement agencies to promptly identify persons behind “moral terror” against her, following reports of sex tape leak.

In a Facebook post on January 28, Beselia said “a new, deliberate and sponsored smear campaign” was launched against her through media and social networks shortly after her resignation from the post of the Legal Affairs Committee chair a month ago.

“The latest news I was told about is that an illegal recording containing personal and family secrets is being circulated in social networks. This tape was recorded under Saakashvili’s oppressive regime and is disseminated under our government,” Beselia noted.

The lawmaker stressed she needs prompt answers from the authorities on who published the material. “I need clear answers on who decided to retaliate against me in this form and who had the recordings,” Beselia said.

MP Davit Chichinadze, former Georgian Dream lawmaker and Eka Beselia’s ally in the Supreme Court appointments dispute, was the first to announce the leak of recordings depicting Beselia’s private life.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement shortly after Chichinadze’s remarks, saying it launched investigation under Article 1571 of the criminal code of Georgia, involving disclosure and dissemination of personal secrets.

MP Davit Chichinadze was summoned for questioning late on January 28.

Reports of alleged sex tape leak take place within the larger context of internal dispute in the Georgian Dream party over the appointment of Supreme Court judges.

Dispute in the ruling party started in late December, when the High Council of Justice, the body overseeing the judiciary, submitted a ten-member list of Supreme Court nominations to the Parliament, triggering the protest and eventual resignation of the Head of the Legal Affairs Committee, MP Eka Beselia.

MP Beselia accused the party’s parliamentary leadership, including Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze of lobbying specific nominees, who – she argues – have a track record of “serving Mikheil Saakashvili’s oppressive regime.”

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)