Marneuli Mayor Detained for Forcing a Man Wash Face with Urine
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, June 14
The mayor of the Marneuli region of Georgia in the country’s east, was detained on Wednesday for abuse and inhumane treatment of a local man, as the mayor physically abused and forced a Marneuli resident to wash his face with urine in a live video after the latter verbally abused Abazov’s wife and the founder of the Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili.
A parliament member from the opposition United National Movement (UNM) Azer Suleymanov, a member of Marneuli City Assembly from the Georgian Dream ruling party, Ramin Allakhverdiev and Abazov’s relative E.G. have also been charged for the physical abuse of the same individual.
If the charges are confirmed Abazov will be sent to prison for 5-10 years, while the sentence for physical abuse is 2 years.
The ruling party members say that if Abazov committed a crime, he must be held accountable for that.
The UNM lawmaker Suleymanov dismisses the charge and says that he does not know the affected man at all.
He did not hide that the man was at the UNM office the day when he was abused, but he says that no incident took place there.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office stated that the Marneuli local Elchin Allakhverdiev arrived at a rally in Tbilisi on June 10, dedicated to the murder of two teenage boys in Tbilisi last year.
During the rally, Allakhverdiev switched on Facebook live and verbally abused Abazov’s wife as he disliked the mayor and the head of the Georgian Dream party, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Prosecutor’s Office said.
The Prosecutor’s Office stated that the same evening a member of the United National Movement opposition Ragim Askerov phoned him and asked him to meet.
Allakhverdiev arrived at the United National Movement’s Office, where Suleimanov, Ramin Allakhverdiev, E.G. and several others were waiting for him.
Suleimanov demanded from Allakhverdiev to explain who tasked him to verbally abuse Abazov’s wife in a live video and after that Suleimanov, Ramin Allakhverdiev and E.G. physically abused him,” the Prosecutor’s Office reported.
After the abuse Allakhverdiev was taken to the territory of one of the restaurants by the Marneuli City Assembly member Jeikhun Choidarov, where Abazon was waiting for them.
As soon as they arrived, Abazov spat at Allakhverdiev, forced him to switch on the facebook live and verbally abuse his own wife. Then Abazov forced the man to urinate in a glass and wash his face with it,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.
Abazov, who has been charged for abuse and inhumane treatment, is facing 5-10 years in prison.
The physical abuse charge against Ramin Allakhverdiev and E.G. envisages two years in prison.
Suleymanov has also been charged with physical abuse. However, he has not been detained as the lawmaker’s immunity protects him.
The Prosecutor’s Office stated that as the physical abuse charge is not a grave crime, Suleymanov may be released on bail and his mandate may not be affected.
Suleymanov has already been questioned and he refused any connection with the case.
