President calls on politicians, media not to hinder police operation in Zugdidi hostage situation
The attacker, who has been keeping the hostages since noon, has demanded half a million USD and security guarantees from police. Photo: Mtavari.tv
Tweet 
Share
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has addressed journalists covering the developments around the Bank of Georgia branch in Zugdidi where an armed attacker took hostages earlier today.
I call on media outlets to take the appeal of law enforcers into consideration and provide the public with information without hindering operation of police units”, Zurabishvili said.
President Zurabishvili also addressed politicians to avoid any ‘artificial tension’ and let police secure the release of hostages in a peaceful manner.
Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has also stressed that ‘improper coverage’ of the developments and ‘wrong accents’ can have dire consequences.
The ruling Georgian Dream party leader Irakli Kobakhidze also called on ‘some media outlets’ that livestreamed the negotiations with the attacker that politicians and journalists ‘bear the major responsibility’ not to interfere in law enforcers’ activities.
The Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics has also stated that ‘despite the high public interest’ in the developments around the Bank of Georgia branch in Zugdidi, each journalist and producer has a responsibility to not endanger the lives of the hostages.
A Bank of Georgia branch in the west Georgian city of Zugdidi has been taken hostage by robbers.
The Georgian Interior Ministry released a statement early in the morning, saying that following the special police operation in Samegrelo region, 'all hostages have been released and their lives and health are no longer in danger.' Irakli Kvaratskhelia, one of the hostages of the armed attacker in the Bank of Georgia branch in the western Georgian city of Zugdidi, had reported earlier that the attacker received money and left the building with three hostages.
The de facto authorities of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region say the man who held up a Bank of Georgia branch in Zugdidi yesterday will not be allowed into the region. Sputnik cites the de facto authorities as saying that the attacker has not been mentioned near the occupied region so far. The attacker, who demanded half a million USD, released a Georgian regional police officer and the last three hostages in the forest of Kirtskhi village in Chkhotortsu municipality, near the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the primary goal was to end yesterday’s attack on the Bank of Georgia Zugdidi branch without victims and that this goal was reached. "Now our main goal is to detain the offender and our law enforcement agencies must use and are using all legal measures to do this,” Gakharia said, adding that the offender’s detention is important to prevent such crimes in the future.
An armored cash collection vehicle has been attacked and robbed in Georgia’s Black sea town of Kobuleti today. 1TV.ge reports that the robber stole 50,000 GEL in cash.
Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri has confirmed that the attacker on the Bank of Georgia Zugdidi branch yesterday took money from the bank and it was not state money as some media outlets said. Gomelauri stated that everything is being done to detain the offender. "Our primary goal was to save the hostages. Now [we are doing all we can] to detain the offender and hold him accountable,” Gomelauri said.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has announced today that the armed attacker on the Bank of Georgia branch in the western town of Zugdidi has been identified. However, the ministry calls on all media outlets and the public not to reveal the identity or a photograph of the offender, in case they somehow happen to receive information, in order not to interfere in the police investigation.
Brother of Badri Esebua, the Zugdidi bank robber who took hostages and escaped with half a million USD, was detained yesterday for the illegal purchase and possession of firearms and ammunition.
Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri has stated that he has reliable information that Badri Esebua, the Zugdidi bank robber who took hostages, escaped with half a million USD and has been hiding for eight months, is still in Georgia.