World champion discharged
By Messenger Staff
Monday, June 6
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has discharged a soldier who won a world championship in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) two months ago for his participation in the western Zugdidi by-election clash on May 22.
The Ministry said the actions of Private Lasha Dvalishvili were in violation of military conduct and the high standards of the GAF.
The Ministry stressed that charging and sentencing people was the right of other institutions, but the Army has its own rules servicemen.
“We were proud of Lasha Dvalishvili when he gained the world championship in MMA two months ago. However, the video forage reflecting his behavior in the village of Kortskheli, showed us that his actions were not in line with mandatory military discipline,” the MoD wrote.
“The reputation of the Ministry of Defence and Georgia’s Armed Forces are of the utmost importance,” the Ministry added.
The incident happened on May 22 outside a polling station for the Sakrebulo (local council) by-elections in Kortskheli in the Zugdidi municipality.
A clash broke out between supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia (GDDG) party and the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party.
The brawl was strongly condemned by Georgia’s Prime Minister, who called it "absolutely deplorable” and tasked the Ministry of Justice to draft amendments that would ensure severe punishment for future election violations.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs wrote that six individuals had been charged with hooliganism regarding the incident.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office stated the prosecution would demand bail as a preventative measure for the accused.
