Parliament Speaker sends condolences over ruling party member’s death after verbal abuse by opposition activist

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday sent his condolences to family members of Ermile Gigiadze, the member of the ruling Georgian Dream party who passed away after being verbally abused by an opposition activist in the village of Geguti in western Georgia's Tskaltubo municipality on Thursday.

A Imedi TV said opposition activist Roland Nutsubidze had “rushed toward members of the ruling party and verbally insulted them”, “insulting” Gigiadze several times during the incident.

Gigiadze collapsed “due to nervousness” and passed away on the spot, the outlet said, with the accident taking place during a door-to-door meeting in the village's headquarters of the party.

Papuashvili claimed it was “obvious that normalisation of disdain and hatred by the United National Movement opposition party and non-governmental organisations, and its transformation into a something praiseworthy, will definitely lead to such tragic incidents”.

That's why I warned donors to be strict with the NGOs they funded. Therefore, I asked them to condemn and disassociate themselves from this campaign of hatred and violence”, he added.

The official claimed donors financing NGOs in the country had “turned a blind eye” to a “campaigns” organised by an NGOs, including “promises of 84 bullets in the forehead” - in reference to 84 MPs who voted to override a veto placed by the country’s President Salome Zourabichvili on the controversial law on transparency of foreign influence earlier this year.

He also alleged the actions included “phone call terror” and “bullying of family members” of political figures in the country’s authorities.

The Imedi TV said investigation into the incident was ongoing.