The former Chairman of the United National Movement Nika Melia and opposition members Bacho Dolidze and Zviad Kuprava were released three days after their arrest. The Police are accusing them of administrative disobedience. The Ministry of Internal Affairs launched an investigation under Article 353 of the Criminal Code, which implies an attack on police officers.
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On September 22, Irakli Edzgveradze, deputy of the Tbilisi City Council from the National Movement, and three others were attacked in Gldani. According to Edzgveradze, the person who ordered the attack was the council’s majority deputy of Gldani, a member of Georgian Dream, Konstantine Zarnadze, which Zarnadze denies.
Shortly after the incident, friends and fellow party members of the victims gathered in Gldani, at which time the law enforcement officers detained Nika Melia, Bacho Dolidze, and Zviad Kuprava. The Ministry of Internal Affairs claims that the three men obstructed police officers from performing duty, verbally and physically assaulted them, and resisted arrest. The video footage from the scene does not show any of the alleged facts of interference and physical abuse.
All three detainees were released from the courtroom on September 24. The lawyers asked the judge for time to review the case materials, and the session was postponed until 12:00 on October 23.
‘’In case anyone still had an illusion that something will come out of this government… we cannot turn this government into a democratic one. This is not our goal as it is unattainable. This criminal government simply needs to be replaced. We see no difference between the people in police uniforms and the thugs who attacked our friends. They have been operating in full coordination for years. I know very well what has been happening in the Gldani district since 2020. There is a criminal group, led by several people and directly tied to the police. This was a pre-planned mass raid on political grounds. If anyone has a differing opinion, they are not thinking straight,’’ said Nika Melia after his release.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested 6 people for gang violence against Irakli Edzgveradze and three other people. The crime is punishable by up to 2 years in prison.
The prosecutor’s office is requesting the imprisonment of the defendants as a punitive measure.
