Two suspects of beating UNM member left under arrest

The Gurdjaani District Court has refused to release Gocha Maisuradze and Mamuka Usinashvili, suspected of attacking an oppositionist near the village of Velistsikhe, on bail.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 16, near the village of Velistsikhe in the Gurdjaani District of Georgia, a clash broke out of policemen with the activists, who were on their way to a protest action in Telavi against the inauguration of Salome Zurabishvili. As a result, seven law enforcers were hospitalized. After that, four people were detained, including David Kirkitadze, a member of the "United National Movement" (UNM) Party, suspected of attacking a policeman. Kirkitadze was arrested until February 14.

According to the police, one of the four detainees, together with Kirkitadze, took part in the attack on the law enforcer, who was sitting in the bus. Two other detainees are suspected of beating up Shota Dalakishvili, an oppositionist and a resident of Velistsikhe, with truncheons. They broke his jaw; and he was hospitalized, the "News-Georgia" reported on December 19.

Today, the Gurdjaani District Court has refused to release on bail Gocha Maisuradze and Mamuka Usinashvili, who were detained on suspicion of beating up Mr Dalakishvili, a UNM activist. The start of their trial is scheduled for February 4, 2019, the "InterPressNews" has reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 21, 2018 at 02:54 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.