Police investigating alleged assault on opposition politician

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs on Saturday said it had launched an investigation following reports of an assault on Irakli Edzgveradze, a member of the Tbilisi City Council and the United National Movement opposition party and the persons accompanying him.

The statement followed the reports by Edzgveradze, stating he was attacked in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi and was “physically assaulted by more than 30 people”.

The investigation has been launched into charges of violence by a group of persons, the Ministry said. The law enforcement officers, who arrived at the scene, interviewed several injured people, it added. The body also said that the mentioned individuals refused to be interviewed at the hospital later that day after the police explained that they would have to testify in court.

The state body noted that soon after the incident, the UNM party members and Edzgveradze’s friends had prevented the police from performing their duties, they had verbally and physically insulted the law enforcement officers, and three individuals were arrested on Administrative offences.

The UNM press service said that among those detained were Nika Melia, the former Chair of the party, Bacho Dolidze and Zviad Kuprava.