Court fines three opposition politicians for incident with police in September
Tbilisi City Court fined Nika Melia, Zviad Kuprava and Bacho Dolidze, members of the United National Movement opposition party, $730 each. Photo: Tbilisi City Court
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Tbilisi City Court on Thursday fined Nika Melia, Zviad Kuprava and Bacho Dolidze, members of the United National Movement opposition party, $730 each for an incident with law enforcement officers in September.
The incident took place in the Gldani district of Tbilisi on September 22, after the trio appeared at the location to express support for their fellow party member Irakli Edzgveradze, who had been assaulted outside his home by an unidentified individual earlier during the day.
Accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party of organising the attack, the UNM members confronted the law enforcement and were detained for petty hooliganism and disobeying police orders. All three were released in two days.
The UNM members plan to appeal the verdict, domestic media outlets said.
Nugzar Tsiklauri, a member of the United National Movement opposition party, on Wednesday accused Vano Merabishvili, the former Interior Minister from the party during its time in Government, of ongoing “shadowy interference” in developments in the UNM and domestic politics in general.
Bacho Dolidze, a member of the United National Movement - the largest opposition party in Georgia - on Tuesday said the former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili could be behind the recent release of illegal audio recording involving the party’s incumbent Chair Nika Melia.
Khatia Dekanoidze, the Chair of the United National Movement opposition party in the Parliament, on Tuesday announced her resignation from the post, in a development that follows the election of Levan Khabeishvili in the position of the overall Chair of the party.
Nika Melia, the former Chair of the United National Movement, the largest party in the domestic Georgian opposition, on Monday refused to become involved in a potential new board of the party and related talks, citing “informal influence” of David Kezerashvili, the wanted former Defence Minister of Georgia, and Vano Merabishvili, the former Interior Minister under the UNM Government, over party affairs.