Opposition Activist Says himself Burned Down his Car

An opposition activist from the Republican Party, part of Alliance for Georgia, told police he had himself set fire to his own car to use it for “a PR campaign” to portray that he became a victim of the authorities’ orchestrated series of attacks on opposition activists. 

On April 28 the Republican Party said Vano Lomidze, head of its regional office in town of Kvareli, eastern region of Kakheti, was attacked and beaten up by four unknown men close to Kvareli while he was driving from Tbilisi. The party and Lomidze himself said that assailants had also burnt his SUV.

Later on April 28, the Interior Ministry has suggested, that Lomidze had himself set fire to his car, which was insured. The Ministry said that Lomidze bought two liters of petrol in a bottle. It said that the bottle with Lomidze’s fingerprints was found nearby to the burnt down car.

On April 29 the Interior Ministry released a video footage of Lomidze’s testimony in which he admits setting fire to his car, which was insured against fire. Police also said that Lomidze was not at all attacked or beaten up either.

Politicians from the Republican Party said that the circumstances of Lomidze’s plea of guilty remained unclear. Tina Khidasheli of the Republican Party said that Lomidze was held by the police for eight hours without an attorney lawyer before giving testimony to the police.

Davit Usupashvili, the leader of Republican Party, told public TV on April 29: “This is ridiculous; you may soon see a plea guilty of mine in which I may say how I have set fire to my own house and left a bottle with my finger prints for the police.”

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