Georgia: supporters of Gachechiladze and Gamkrelidze complain of attacks

Today in Georgia several incidents took place against supporters of oppositional candidates for President of Georgia. Attacks have been reported by the electoral headquarters of Levan Gachechiladze and David Gamkrelidze.

It was reported at the electoral headquarters of Levan Gachechiladze, the candidate from the united opposition, that in the morning on January 4 in Batumi activists of his electoral headquarters were beaten.

"It happened at the moment, when the activists were sticking posters. Suddenly, three passenger cars and a minibus stopped, and people in masks jumped out of them. They started beating us and took away all our agitation materials. I told them that I'm a deputy of the Supreme Council of Adzharia, however, in spite of it, we were beaten with truncheons. In total, 12 persons were beaten," Davis Batsikadze, coordinator of the headquarters in Adzharia, has stated as quoted by the "Interfax".

He added that a police patrol could be seen near the venue of the incident; however, the employees of law enforcement bodies disappeared and returned only after the attack was over.

A source from the headquarters of David Gamkrelidze, candidate from the "New Right-Wingers", has reported that at night of Friday, on January 4, a group of youngsters attacked his electoral headquarters in Samtredia (Eastern Georgia). The attackers threw stones into the house where the headquarters are located, broke the windows and equipment, including a computer. They ran away only after the neighbours heard the noise and went out. Supporters of Gamkrelidze called this attack to be a provocation.

It was informed earlier that today at night unknown persons threw a grenade from a passing-by car in direction of the office of the Labour Party of Georgia in the city of Zestafoni. Nobody was injured.

Representatives of the Labour Party have stated that the explosion was connected with the forthcoming presidential elections, in which the candidate from the Labour Party of Georgia Shalva Natelashvili is also taking part.