Georgia’s Interior Ministry announced on September 9 the launch of an investigation into “damage or destruction of property” after a Georgian Dream appeal, following an incident on Tbilisi’s Melikishvili Avenue near Mayor Kakha Kaladze’s campaign office where protesters defaced his posters by splashing what appeared to be yogurt on one and erasing text and adding the words “Russian Dream” on others.
“Law enforcement officers are conducting relevant investigative actions regarding the fact,” the Interior Ministry said. A video circulated on social media showing a man scrubbing the words “Russian Dream” from one of the posters, reportedly shortly after the protesters left the scene and marched down to the Rustaveli Avenue near Parliament.
The criminal offense under which the investigation was opened, damage or destruction of property (Article 187 of the Criminal Code), is defined as an act “resulting in substantial damage.” It is punishable by a fine, 100 to 180 hours of community service, up to one year of corrective labor, six months to two years of house arrest, or one to five years in prison. If committed repeatedly or by a group, the penalty increases to three to six years in prison.
The September 9 rally at Georgian Dream’s campaign office followed tensions the previous day, when a smaller group of protesters was attacked by what appeared to be government-backed thugs and members of the Georgian Dream youth wing, leaving dozens injured, including women and journalists.
While the Interior Ministry initially opened an investigation into the September 8 attacks under group violence, the next day it launched an additional probe under campaign violence, after a Georgian Dream appeal, as ruling party members accused the protesters of provocation.
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