10:44, 21 October 2018

Police detain Georgian presidential candidate

Zurab Djaparidze at the rally in support of a marijuana legalization. Photo © Sputnik/Shota Nozadze, https://sputnik-georgia.ru/incidents/20181020/242581380/Kandidat-v-prezidenty-Gruzii-zaderzhan---MVD-sdelalo-zayavlenie.html

Zurab Djaparidze, the candidate for the presidency of Georgia from the "Girchi" Party, was detained and released after questioning.

He was detained on Saturday in Tbilisi during a marijuana legalization campaign named "Legalize". The "Girchi" Party announced the action and sale of marijuana therein. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia, the police have opened an inquiry of the illegal purchase, storage and sale of drugs.

"These are illegal police's actions, because, firstly, marijuana consumption is legalized in Georgia, and, secondly, Djaparidze is a registered presidential candidate and is covered by to the immunity enjoyed by elected power representatives," the Girchi Party has stated.

Mr Djaparidze himself said that he was searched at the police station, but nothing was found, the "Girchi" Party wrote in its page.

The presidential election in Georgia is scheduled for October 28. 45 persons have been nominated as candidates.

Let us remind you that on July 30, 2018, the Constitutional Court of Georgia found, at the suit of the "Girchi" Party, administrative punishments for using marijuana unconstitutional, but upheld the punishment for the illegal use thereof (in public places or in the presence of minors), as well as for possessing of marijuana.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 20, 2018 at 06:55 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.