Prosecutor’s office charges UNM opposition MP with violence for October clash
Kirkitadze became a member of the UNM in 2001. He was a mayoral candidate for the party in the 2021 Rustavi municipal elections, before being defeated by the ruling Georgian Dream party candidate Nino Latsabidze with 53.71 percent of votes. Photo: Netgazeti.
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The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has launched criminal proceedings against David Kirkitadze, MP for the United National Movement opposition party, with the charge related to a physical confrontation between the parliament member and protesters in the city of Rustavi before the October 2021 municipal elections.
Kirkitadze and three other individuals have been charged by the prosecutor for the incident, with the politician himself calling the proceedings politically motivated and adding “they will not prevent the implementation of our [party’s] plan in Rustavi and throughout the country.”
Rustavi City Court has approved bail for the three defendants involved in the confrontation as a measure of restraint, with the Prosecutor’s Office saying it will seek for the same measure for Kirkitadze.
The incident took place in Rustavi, to the south-east of capital Tbilisi, where municipal elections were particularly closely contested between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the UNM.
A protest involving three individuals was ongoing against the opposition party outside their offices on October 24, before the runoff stage of the election, with Kirkitadze and UNM supporters allegedly assaulting the protesters in response.
The case from the prosecutor’s office alleges both sides involved in violent acts against each other, with charges levelled against the UNM MP, an individual only identified as V.B., and two protesters. The offence is punishable by up to two years in prison.
In reaction to the charges, ruling party MP and deputy parliament speaker Gia Volski has said “it is a fact that he [Kirkitadze] committed a crime and this crime must lead to some response.”
Kirkitadze became a member of the UNM in 2001. He was a mayoral candidate for the party in the 2021 Rustavi municipal elections, before being defeated by the ruling Georgian Dream party candidate Nino Latsabidze with 53.71 percent of votes.