4 detained after civic activists, opposition tries to pitch tent in room of Tbilisi City Assembly member
The opposition took down the office sign of Tbilisi City Assembly member Erekle Kukhianidze and demanded his dismissal. Photo: Elene Khoshtaria.
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The Georgian Interior Ministry has detained four individuals earlier today after civic activists and opposition members tried to pitch a tent in the room of Tbilisi City Assembly member from the Georgian Dream ruling party Erekle Kukhianidze, who criticised and abused abducted doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili and his family in his Facebook post on December 13.
The individuals have been detained for disobedience to police and hooliganism.
The civic activists and the opposition have been demanding an apology from Kukhianidze and his dismissal from Tbilisi City Assembly since the publication of the post, in which Kukhianidze called Gaprindashvili and his family “provocateurs” and verbally abused them.
Erekle Kukhianidze (R) has asked apology for his words to doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili (L).
The Facebook post was made shortly after Gaprindashvili’s family announced a peaceful rally at the occupation line and asked the Georgian government to take more active steps for the release of the doctor who has been in illegal detention starting from November 9.
In the post Kukhianidze said that Gaprindashvili’s step, to cross the occupation line when he knew he might be abducted, was provocative.
Kukhianidze, who has been strongly criticized by the ruling party and opposition members, as well as hundreds of social media users for his statement, made a public apology yesterday.
He stated that he had a tense day when he wrote the post and felt sorry for his words.
The family of well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who was abducted by Russian-controlled occupation forces on November 9, says that the Georgian government has created a coordination council composed of top state officials to take all measures for the release of the doctor from occupied Tskhinvali prison.
Family and friends of Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili are holding a peaceful demonstration near the occupation line a month after he was sent to two-month pretrial detention “for deliberately crossing the border” of the occupied Tskhinvali region.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has again called on the international community to “strengthen their efforts” to ensure “the immediate release” of Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili from Tskhinvali custody.
Illegal detention and sentencing of a Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) was the key issue raised at the 50th Geneva International Discussions on December 10-11.
The Georgian Dream ruling party has decided to dismiss its member in Tbilisi City Assembly Erekle Kukhianidze who criticised and abused a doctor abducted by occupation forces and his family in a Facebook post published on December 13.