Bidzina Ivanishvili’s son appears at Family Purity Day, calls himself "ordinary young Georgian"

Tsotne Ivanishvili, the younger son of Georgian billionaire and sanctioned former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, made a rare public appearance on May 17, attending the Day of Family Purity – an Orthodox Church-led counter-event to the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

Speaking briefly to journalists outside the Georgian Parliament, Ivanishvili repeatedly described himself as "an ordinary young Georgian."

“I came here simply as a regular Georgian youth,” he stated. “It’s important to distinguish between tolerance and propaganda, and artificial massification. We must love and respect everyone and be tolerant, but we must also place our faith above all else.”

When asked about the violent attacks on LGBTQ+ activists on May 17, 2013, by Orthodox churchgoers and clergy, Ivanishvili replied, “Of course, I condemn violence,” but dodged further questions about state-sponsored crackdowns on protesters, including recent mass arrests.

Journalists asked him whether his father bears responsibility for such crackdowns. Ivanishvili responded:
“He [Bidzina Ivanishvili] feels pain the most when violence is committed against Georgian people. He truly loves Georgian youth — you can trust that.”

Asked if his father feared Western sanctions, Ivanishvili replied:
“I find it symbolic that I’m being asked about sanctions on the Day of Family Purity.”

Though Tsotne Ivanishvili mentioned being a student, he declined to specify where he studies.

On December 27, 2024, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili over his financial dispute with Credit Suisse and alleged alignment with Kremlin interests.

The US State Department said Ivanishvili had “undermined Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic trajectory,” violating the country’s constitutional commitment to European integration and betraying the will of the Georgian people.