Ruling party dismisses member who cursed abducted doctor

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. 

Civic activists and the opposition have been holding rallies and demanding the dismissal of Kukhianidze from the City Assembly since the day he called the doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili and his family “provocateurs” and criticised them. 

The ruling party gathered and decided to dismiss Kukhianidze,” head of the ruling party faction in Tbilisi City Assembly Beka Davituliani told the media earlier today, adding the party will address the assembly to dismiss Kukhianidze from the head of Tbilisi City Assembly Environment Protection Committee. 

The Facebook post became the reason for Kukhianidze's dismissal from the ruling party. 

Davituliani stated that the dismissal from the party does not mean the dismissal from the City Assembly as such a decision, based on the law, should be made by Kukhianidze himself. 

Kukhianidze’s 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 on Monday.

 He stated that he had a tense day when he wrote the post and felt sorry for his words.