Court fines UNM opposition party member for last week's CEC incident

Tbilisi City Court on Wednesday fined Davit Kirtadze, a member of the United National Movement opposition party, by ₾500 ($182) for last week's incident, for throwing black paint on Giorgi Kalandarishvili, the Chair of the Georgian Central Election Commission, at the CEC meeting.

Kirtadze’s lawyer said it was not possible to “exactly determine” the action for which the defendant “should have been held liable”.

He is accused of interfering in the activities and functions of the Central Election Commission, while he [himself] is a member of the collegial administrative body. The CEC representatives could not specify the action by which Davit Kirtadze interfered in the CEC's functions and decisions”, the defence lawyer noted.

The incident took place on Saturday during the Central Election Commission’s meeting held to summarise October parliamentary election results.

The Georgian Interior Ministry launched an investigation immediately following the incident, stating it referred to “causing less serious body injury to health committed on purpose”.