Opposition MP Physically Assaulted
Member of Parliament from the opposition Girchi party Iago Khvichia was allegedly physically assaulted in the party’s office.
According to him, the alleged assailant is the brother of a citizen whom Biblical Freedom – a church founded by Girchi, ordained to help avoid the compulsory military service. The alleged assailant reportedly protested Biblical Freedom’s activities, accusing it of doing “the devil’s job.” “I called on him to get out, [but] he swung his arm and punched me in the nose,” Khvichia told media, “We beat him well.”
Khvichia attributes the assault to the “dirty propaganda of the [ruling] Georgian Dream and the Patriarchate.”
Khvichia says he is not cooperating with the law enforcement.
As one of the biggest opponent of the compulsory military service, Girchi founded the church Biblical Freedom in 2017 to take advantage of then existing norm in the Georgian legislation that exempted priests from conscription. Biblical Freedom ordained thousands of young men allowing them to avoid compulsory military service. In September 2023 the Parliament adopted a new defense code which limited exemptions to priests of the Orthodox Church of Georgia.
Also Read:
- 25/09/2023 – Six Remain in Custody over Opposition Assault
- 22/09/2023 – UNM Sakrebulo Member Beaten, Other Three UNM Members Detained
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
