Cameraman says he fell down of 2nd floor during fight with ruling party activists

Opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi cameraman Levan Ablotia, who received injuries in the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party office in Kareli yesterday, has dismissed the allegations of the channel head Nika Gvaramia that he was thrown out of the second floor by GD activists.

• Mtavari Arkhi TV accuses ruling party of attacking cameraman, latter denies

Ablotia has told journalists earlier today that there was a confrontation in the office and that GD activists were aggressive to the staff of opposition-minded channels. 

I have never witnessed such aggression before," Ablotia said.

He stated that four or five activists tried to grab his camera and that during the fight he was walking backwards and then fell down. 

Ablotia has already been discharged from hospital with multiple fractures and bruises, said Mtavari Arkhi. 

Doctors say that Ablotia had no fractures, 'only superficial injuries,' that is why he was discharged so quickly. 

The Georgian Dream party has responded to the incident and accused the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party and its ‘affiliated TV channels’ of staging provocations and spreading fake information.

Gvaramia sent there his journalists to stage provocations. We have a recording how the cameraman fell down himself from a two-meter height (not from the second floor) and walking freely after the incident," ruling party head Irakli Kobakhidze said.

 Kobakhidze stated that Mtavari Arkhi  also had a recording which showed the incident and that Ablotia ‘fell down himself.’ However, the channel deliberately hid the recording.