4 people detained for violent acts during pre-election campaigns in Marneuli and Bolnisi
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Tuesday, October 6
The officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) detained 4 people on the facts of the violence that took place on September 27th in the village of Nakhiduri in Bolnisi Municipality and on September 29th in Marneuli. Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Vladimer Bortsvadze spoke about it at a briefing.
An activist of the Georgian Dream party, born in 1987, and the head of the car fleet of Marneuli Municipality Ltd., born in 1977, were arrested on the fact of violence in Marneuli. They assaulted the activists of the National Movement (UNM) and inflicted physical injuries on them.
On September 27th, in the village of Nakhiduri in the Bolnisi district, an activist of the UNM, born in 1986, was arrested for assaulting Georgian Dream supporters, using a blunt object. A member of the UNM, born in 1989, who physically assaulted an employee of the election commission, has been arrested on the fact of violence on the territory of the election commission. The crimes committed by the accused are punishable by up to 2 years in prison.
Activists of the UNM and the Georgian Dream clashed on September 27th in the village of Nakhiduri in Bolnisi Municipality. Both parties blame each other for the attack. According to Kakha Okriashvili, the majoritarian MP candidate of the UNM in Dmanisi, Tsalka, Bolnisi and Tetritskaro constituencies, the attackers allegedly fired indiscriminately from a firearm.
According to Gogi Meshveliani, the majoritarian candidate of the Georgian Dream in Bolnisi, Dmanisi, Tetritskaro and Tsalka, up to ten Georgian Dream activists were injured in the physical confrontation, two of whom are in critical condition. According to him, the initiator of the attack was the local leader of the UNM, Arif Yusufov.
On the evening of September 29th, supporters of the National Movement and the Georgian Dream physically and verbally confronted each other in the 22nd constituency of Marneuli. At that time, the protest was led by members of the UNM. A hand-to-hand confrontation took place between members of the Georgian Dream and the UNM in Marneuli. In the evening, the situation became tense again, during which UNM members were physically assaulted.
Two journalists and two cameramen of the main channel were later attacked, and the cameraman of the Public Broadcaster was also beaten.
Lasha Kveladze, an activist of the UNM and a member of the Marneuli District Commission, was detained due to the physical confrontation that took place on September 29th. According to the investigation, he "physically assaulted an employee of the election commission." He was charged under the first part of Article 162 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which stipulates violence at the polling station from the day of the election until the final results are summarized.
According to the MIA, on September 29th, 2 people attacked and confronted UNM activists in Marneuli. The investigation is underway under the first part of Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which stipulates gang violence.
Police have overall arrested 4 persons for violent acts during the pre-election campaigns in Marneuli and Bolnisi Municipalities, out of which two persons were detained for “beating of UNM activists and one of their companions” according to a October 3rd statement.
According to Bortsvadze, ‘the task of the MIA is to maintain law and order and ensure free, democratic and secure elections’; The agency will not allow the ‘election process to develop in a violent scenario’ and will react strictly to ‘any violation of the law.’
The prosecutor's office states that it is appealing to the court to detain Lasha Kveladze, who was detained as a precautionary measure, on bail of GEL5,000. This means that the accused will remain in custody until the bail is paid. It is also demanding GEL5,000 bail for the two Georgian Dream supporters arrested on October 3rd.
