More Violence Reported in Adjara

One of the leaders of the Batumi office of the Christian-Democratic Party and member of the opposition movement Our Adjara Avto Darichia was abducted and severely beaten on February 22.

Later the office of the Christian-Democratic Party in Batumi was burnt down. The opposition claims the local authorities are behind the violence against the opposition.
 
Leader of the Christian-Democratic Party and former State Minister Vazha Lortkipanidze condemned the incident and demanded the Adjarian authorities to punish those behind the attacks.
 
Two activists of the Kmara youth movement, who were transporting the anti-Abashidze posters to Batumi, were severely beaten up at the administrative border of the Autonomous Republic late on February 21.

These incidents were preceded by violent raids of the opposition movement’s offices in Batumi on February 20, after Aslan Abashidze’s opponents held a protest rally in the capital of Adjara.

Interior Minister of the Adjara Autonomous Republic Jemal Gogitidze told reporters late on February 21 that situation in the region is extremely tensed and added “opposition is responsible for aggravated situation.”