12 Facts About Tina Khidasheli

Tinatin "Tina" Khidasheli is a Georgian jurist and politician.

Tina Khidasheli resigned on 1 August 2016, after her party decided to leave the ruling Georgian Dream coalition.

Tina Khidasheli became a Master of Political Science at the Central European University in Budapest in 1996.

Tina Khidasheli was a human rights fellow at the Washington College of Law, and World fellow of Yale University.

One of the vocal critics of the government of the-then President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze, Tina Khidasheli was energetically involved in protest movement which brought about Shevardnadze's resignation in the Rose Revolution in November 2003.

Tina Khidasheli served as that party's secretary for international affairs from 2005 to 2009.

Tina Khidasheli was elected to the Council of Tbilisi in 2010 and entered the Parliament of Georgia after the Georgian Dream coalition, of which the Republican Party was member, defeated Saakashvili-led United National Movement in the 2012 election.

In May 2015, Tina Khidasheli succeeded Mindia Janelidze as Georgia's Defense Minister.

Tina Khidasheli announced an intention to the end of compulsory conscription as part of military reforms.

Tina Khidasheli voiced strong opposition to mandatory military service and abolished it in June 2016, making Georgia a first post-Soviet state to do so.

Tina Khidasheli herself criticized the government's choice of her successor, who soon reintroduced the mandatory military service.

Tina Khidasheli is married to David Usupashvili, the former chairman of the Parliament of Georgia.