Zviad Dzidziguri: I shot to defend my children

Today, Zviad Dzidziguri, a candidate to the post of the Mayor of Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, held a briefing, where he gave his version of the incident that happened at night with billposters of electoral materials of the United National Movement.

Let us remind you that according to Georgian TV Channels today at night near Dzidziguri's house in Tbilisi a group of young men began sticking pre-election posters of the party in power United National Movement. Dzidziguri started a dispute with them and then made four shots from his pistol in the air. It was also stated that Dzidziguri, being in the state of intoxication, drove away and offended the journalists who tried to get his comments on the incident.

A criminal case was opened at the Prosecutor's Office of Tbilisi on the fact of hooliganism. A respective statement was made by Levan Makharashvili, head of the legal department of the Ministry of Justice.

As reported by Dzidziguri himself, he was coming back home late at night, as for the whole he was engaged in political matters. At 2 a.m., in front of his house, according to his version, a showdown burst out between local guys and activists of the United National Movement, who stuck posters.

Mr Dzidziguri said that he went out of his house in his night gown to calm down the guys, and at that moment an armed group of the members of the United National Movement approached him and caused a physical insult.

According to his story, he had a pistol with him, and he made three shots in the air to frighten away the attackers. Then, he went home and tried to go to bed, but ten minutes later journalists of the "Imedi" rushed in with their TV cameras and woke up and frightened his small children.

Dzidziguri asked journalists to leave his house and after they refused to do it, he drove them away by force.

The candidate said at the briefing that nobody should rush into his house at midnight and frighten his children. He defended himself and his children and was ready to use his firearm again for their safety, as he possesses it on lawful grounds. Dzidziguri also emphasized that was not drunk on that night; and it could be easily checked up.