Russian citizen detained in Tbilisi, TV channel head claims Kadyrov placed hit on journalist who insulted Putin
Head of the Chenchen government Ramzan Kadyron (R)threatened Georgian journalist Giorgi Gabunia after the latter cursed Putin last summer live on the air.
Tweet 
Share
Russian citizen of Ingush origin Vasambeg Bokov has been detained in Tbilisi for the illegal purchase and possession of fake documents.
Head of the opposition-minded TV channel Mtavari Arkhi Nika Gvaramia claims that the man was plotting to murder journalist Giorgi Gabunia for insulting Russian President Vladimir Putin last year.
Gvaramia claims that the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, placed the hit on the journalist who worked for the opposition-minded TV channel Rustavi 2 when he insulted Putin on his live show in July 2019, during protests in Tbilisi which were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament.
The Georgian State Security Service says that Bokov was detained within the investigation of a planned murder which is still in progress, and urged media outlets to refrain from spreading ‘incorrect or inaccurate information.’
However, the agency admits that in detaining the man a “much more serious crime was avoided.”
June protests in Tbilisi in 2019. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The case is classified and lawyers cannot speak about the details.
Gvaramia, who chaired Rustavi 2 TV last year, says that Ukraianian law enforcers gave the information to the Georgian State Security Service pertaining to the alleged hit order
He stated that before tha pandemic, Ukrainian law enforcers were following Bokov. However, when the situation became uncontrollable due to the pandemic, they provided Georgian colleagues with the information.
Gvaramia claims that Georgian law enforcers ‘did not take the information seriously. However, they ensured continued surveillance and protection of Gabunia and finally detained the man.’
Gabunia says that he has had bodyguards since the incident last year and the bodyguards mentioned that they were under surveillance.
Bokov lived in Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge for some time. The host in Pankisi told media outlets that he had no clue of Bokov’s alleged intentions.
The man was detained on Friday.
The Russian State Duma adopted a statement at a plenary session today, urging the government of Russia to impose tough economic sanctions on Georgia and halt the import of wine and mineral waters from Georgia to the Russian Federation and put in place a ban on remittances from Russia.
TV anchor of Georgian TV channel Rustavi 2, who cursed Russian President Vladimir Putin on his live show yesterday, has been suspended for two months. Rustavi 2 reports that the broadcaster’s regulation body discussed Giorgi Gabunia’s words uttered in the beginning of his TV show ‘P.S.’ and suspended him for two months.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has called insults against Russian President Vladimir Putin by Georgian TV anchor Giorgi Gabunia “unacceptable,” but said that the Georgian government and people have responded to the event “in the right way.”
Anchor of Georgian private broadcaster Rustavi 2 Giorgi Gabunia has insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin on his live show P.S. earlier today, using offensive language in Russian.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and President Salome Zurabishvili have thanked the State Security Service for preventing a ‘very serious crime’ allegedly against well-known Georgian journalist Giorgi Gabunia which could have sparked tension and provocations in the country.
The Russian government’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says that allegations about plotting the murder of well-known Georgian journalist for insulting Putin is absurd.
The State Security Service of Georgia has announced earlier today that an investigation into the planned murder of journalist Giorgi Gabunia is underway. "Dissemination of any information, whether it is true or false, may damage the major public interest - to establish the objective truth, expose every individual involved in the crime and bring them to justice", it stated.
Russian citizen has been sentenced to four years in prison in the case of Georgian Journalist Giorgi Gabunia who insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin on his live show during June 2019 protests in Tbilisi.
Ethnic Chechen-Russian citizen Beslan Iznaur who allegedly is linked to the plotting the murder of Georgian journalist Giorgi Gabunia, has been detained by law enforcers in Turkey on October 9, Radio Liberty’s Chechen service reports. The hit on Gabunia was likely put out after Gabunia verbally insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin on live television.