UNM MP attacked
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, April 1
Nugzar Tsiklauri, a member of the United National Movement was physically abused on March 31. According to him, he was attacked by 7-8 masked individuals. Tsiklauri was taken to Ghudushauri hospital the same day with various injures to his body. The UNM held a special briefing, accusing the current government in the crime.
"Just before 3 am I returned home. Three cars with seven or eight people greeted me and without saying a word, they attacked me,” Tsiklauri said, noting that the attackers shocked him with a taser. Tsiklauri believes that the attack was political.
The UNM demands an immediate investigation into the case, stating that Tsiklauri was "most likely attacked by the special forces.”
“The UNM places all responsibility for this severe crime upon the current government and personally PM Garibashvili, as well as his boss, Georgia’s de facto ruler Bidzina Ivanishvili,” the UNM’s statement reads.
Member of the parliamentary opposition, Davit Bakradze, emphasizes that the ruling team has launched physical assaults on its political opponents.
“The attackers, who used an electroshock weapon against Tsiklauri several times, attempted to kidnap him, but failed as a result of his resistance and the interference of neighbors. The attackers acted in a disciplined manner. They were pre-positioned on the entire perimeter of the MP’s apartment block, were masked and did not say a word. They also left the scene in an organized manner. These circumstances indicate that there is a high likelihood the masked men were from the special services and acted upon orders,” the UNM members’ common statement reads. The UNM members also appealed to the Parliament Chair Davit Usupashvili to take the case on his personal control.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili responded to the incident and evaluated it as an "outrageous.”
"Cases were not investigated at the time the UNM was in government. I have heard about it this morning. The incident is outrageous and I call on the appropriate authorities to investigate the case,” Garibashvili said.
The State Minister on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Aleksi Petriashvili condemned the incident, stressing that the current government of Georgia stands far from such kinds of actions. He does not believe the Special Forces were involved in the crime. According to him, the incident appears more like and act of “revenge by grieved citizens.” The minister stated that there were many incidents of kidnapping politicians and ordinary citizens under the UNM government. He appealed to the members of the UNM to assist the government in investigating those facts.
The Parliament Speaker Davit Usupashvili stated that the incident would be urgently investigated by law-enforcement bodies.
