Video Circulates of Georgian MPs Physically Attacking Citizen in Abu Dhabi
By Liza Mchedlidze
Tuesday, January 14, 2025
Georgian citizen Lasha Gabitashvili has accused members of the ruling Georgian Dream party of physically assaulting him at a hotel in Abu Dhabi. Gabitashvili, who had publicly criticized the MPs a day earlier, shared a video on social media showing MPs Irakli Zarkua, Viktor Sanikidze, and Gela Samkharauli allegedly attacking him.
In a Facebook Live broadcast, Gabitashvili recounted the incident, stating that the MPs confronted him during breakfast with his wife and attacked him in retaliation for his criticism.
"I came for breakfast, and they attacked me, likely because of the videos I shared yesterday. I'm here alone with my wife, and they thought I'd be scared. But I'm not afraid," Gabitashvili said. He added that he believes the assault stemmed from comments he made accusing the MPs of betrayal and criticizing their stance on political issues.
The altercation follows a confrontation on January 12, during which Gabitashvili approached the MPs in public, accusing them of being "slaves and traitors." He also questioned Zarkua about the arrests of demonstrators during a rally in Batumi on January 11-12. Video footage from the confrontation shows Zarkua avoiding the question and moving the camera away before the argument escalated.
After the physical attack, Zarkua and Sanikidze released a video addressing the incident.
"Some incident happened. It's not something to be proud of, but we are a self-respecting nation. When they insult my family, there will always be a response," Zarkua stated.
Sanikidze added, "Everything is fine. There will always be an answer to these stateless people, wherever we are."
