Russian citizen convicted in case of Georgian journalist who insulted Putin
Journalist Giorgi Gabunia said that he has had bodyguards since he insulted Russian President Vladimir Putin on his live show in 2019. Photo: Zakaria Chelidze
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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.
The Russian citizen of Ingush origin M.G. who used a fake identification document under the name of Vasambeg Bokov has been found guilty by Tbilisi City Court earlier today for the illegal purchase and possession of fake documents, pursuit and obtaining of personal information of Gabunia.
He was detained in June 2020 in Tbilisi and the Georgian State Security Service said that he was detained within the investigation of a planned murder.
Gabunia and the leadership of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi TV channel chaim that the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, placed the hit on Gabunia for insulting Putin.
Kadirov stated shortly after that the accusations were groundless and that if he ordered the murder Gabunia would be killed.
The Russian government’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov says that allegations about plotting the murder of well-known Georgian journalist for insulting Putin is absurd.
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.
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.
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 Georgian Interior Ministry announced late yesterday that 25 individuals who had been detained by police while trying to set up tents in front of the parliament building have been released.
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.