Police Detain Two Opposition Members
On September 4, police detained two members of the opposition United National Movement, Irakli Edzgveradze and Irakli Nadiradze, members of the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo), reportedly under Articles 166 and 173 of the Administrative Code of Georgia. Edzgveradze is also the head of the UNM campaign office in the Gldani district.
Nadiradze has been since released on parole. According to TV Imedi, police accuse Edzgveradze of interfering with their activities while they were conducting an investigation into an alleged drug-related crime in the area where Edzgveradze lives in the Gldani district of Tbilisi. Edzgveradze has nothing to do with the mentioned investigation.
According to Edzgveradze’s lawyer, Lasha Tkesheladze, the Sakrebulo member has been subjected to police violence. Tkesheladze has called on the Special Investigation Service, a government body which investigates crimes and ill-treatment by officials, to open an investigation. Additionally, he has urged the Public Defender of Georgia to personally supervise the case.
“Since coming to power, the Georgian Dream has been bullying the society, tearing it apart, causing confrontation among people and thus leading the whole country into isolation and dead-end. This is the doomed attempt of the Georgian Dream to stay in power through violence and leave the country in isolation and poverty,” the UNM said in response to the detention of its members.
Edzgveradze came to the spotlight last September as well when he was beaten near his home in the Gldani district as he was returning from the Council meeting. He related the incident to the altercation with Kote Zarnadze of the Georgian Dream party during the Council session earlier. According to him, a group of members of the national football team were involved in the beating.
Also Read:
- 02/11/2023 – UNM Members Fined GEL 2,000 Over Gldani Incident
- 25/09/2023 – Six Remain in Custody over Opposition Assault
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