Panjikidze: arrest of "Georgian Dream" activists after Karaleti incident is illegal

Representatives of the coalition of the businessman Bidzina Ivanishvili "Georgian Dream" have sent a request to the inter-branch commission for monitoring the elections to recheck the case of the activists of the coalition, who had been sentenced to 15 days in jail on charges of involvement in the riots that burst out in the village of Karaleti.

On July 12, in the course of the meeting of refugees in Karaleti with the football player Kakhi Kaladze, one of the leaders of the coalition, a man who is not living in Karaleti began speaking in a raised voice. The footage filmed by "Channel 9" shows that the man speaks in the face of Mr Kaladze that he had "killed his brother because he refused to pay ransom" (Kakhi's brother Levan Kaladze was kidnapped for ransom on May 23, 2003, and killed in early July of that year, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). Kakhi Kaladze got into a squabble, after which a fight broke out, which ended with the crowd throwing stones at the "Georgian Dream" activists. The footage also shows that from the part of the "Georgian Dream" one stone was thrown at the crowd in response, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

As a result of the brawl, 13 people suffered. On July 14, the court arrested five persons – three members of the "Georgian Dream" and two of those who threw stones at them and took part in the fight – for 15 days each.

According to Maya Panjikidze, the press speaker of the "Georgian Dream", the arrest of the members of the "Georgian Dream" is illegal, because they are victims. She asked the court to additionally interrogate the witnesses.

The MIA insists that all the charges were legitimate.

According to the lawyer Gela Nikoleishvili, a member of the NGO "Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights", the video from the venue does not allow to precisely set up the guilt of those arrested.