Court Released Zurab Japaridze Attacker on Bail

Ioseb Maisuradze, who repented of his crime at the court session, did not answer the journalists’ questions. According to his lawyer, there was no longer any legal reason to keep the defendant in custody.

“He confirmed in a conversation with me that his action was caused by sudden emotional excitement, which he does not appreciate from today's point of view. Moreover, he says that if under any circumstances he meets the victim again, he is willing to extend a hand of friendship to him and even offer him friendship. That is, his attitudes have changed radically, and there is practically no danger of something like this happening again,” stated lawyer Nodar Tsintsadze.

The prosecution requested to leave Ioseb Maisuradze in custody. As the prosecutor Otar Dokhnadze said, based on the personality of the defendant and the nature and specificity of the committed crime, there is definitely a danger of him continuing to commit criminal acts.

“Our position is the same as it was from the start. The punishment is up to the court, however, after a substantial review of the case, the prosecution still holds that a guilty verdict should be issued,” said Otar Dokhnadze.

The attack on Zurab Japaridze took place on June 17, at the Smart supermarket parking lot on the Tbilisi-Senaki-Leselidze highway. The opposition politician was going to Borjomi with his fellow party members to conduct training at the liberal academy camp. He was attacked when he was sitting alone in a car and waiting for passengers to go to the supermarket. On the same day, a statement on behalf of Soso Maisuradze was published on the social network, where he confessed to the crime and said that the motive for the attack on Japaridze was “insulting the patriarch.”

“I am Soso Maisuradze, from Gori. I beat Zura Japaridze. He was beaten for perversion of our children, insulting the patriarch and the church, and showing his bare buttocks to the enemy... I am not going to hide,” wrote Maisuradze, who was arrested by the law enforcement officers on the same day.

Maisuradze was charged under Article 126, Part 1 of the Criminal Code, which implies violence. The crime is punishable by a fine or community service for a term of 120 to 180 hours or house arrest for a term of 6 months to 1 year or imprisonment for a term of up to 1 year.

Shortly after the attack on Zurab Japaridze, Vato Shakarishvili, the founder of the Georgia First movement, arrived in Borjomi, near the hotel where the liberal academy's youth camp was held, together with his associates. They threw stones and paints in the yard of the hotel, got angry, and threatened the participants of the camp. No one was injured during the attack, but the car of a member of Girchi - More Freedom was damaged. The Ministry of Internal Affairs started an investigation into the incident under Article 187 (Destruction of another's property) of the Criminal Code. So far, the police have not arrested anyone.

On June 27, Nikoloz Gugeshashvili confessed to the attack on Misha Mshvildadze, one of the founders of Formula TV, using identical wording as Ioseb Maisuradze. Vato Shakarishvili and members of his movement were also present at the court session, where Gugeshashvili was remanded in custody.

The attacks on Japaridze and Mshvildadze were likely planned in advance and coordinated.