Investigation launched after assault on opposition party leader

The Georgian Interior Ministry on Saturday said it had launched an investigation into an assault on Zurab Girchi Japaridze, the leader of the Girchi - More Freedom opposition party, in the central Georgian municipality of Gori on Saturday.

Local media reports on Saturday said police had arrested one individual for the attack on Japaridze, who was interviewed by law enforcement after the incident.

A local resident of Gori said in his social media post later during the day he was responsible for assaulting the party leader, telling his followers the politician had been “beaten for perverting our children, for insulting the [Catholicos Patriarch of the Georgian Orthodox Church] and the Church”.

Public Defender Levan Ioseliani on Saturday condemned the attack on Japaridze and noted his office would study the incident.