Another UNM official beaten
By Tea Mariamidze
Monday, August 11
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has launched criminal proceedings over member of the parliamentary minority Giorgi Kandelaki’s beating.
According to reports, Giorgi Kandelaki was physically assaulted on Tsurtsumia Street, Tbilisi, on August 8.
There are two sides that are involved in the case. However, Kandelaki, who is one of the most famous faces of the United National Movement, links the fact to political persecution.
Aleksi Meladze, who is an employee of the Tetritskaro Municipality, states that he was driving late at night on August 8 when Kandelaki crashed his car into him from the backside.
“I was driving and following the rules. He crashed into me. When I came out of the car, Kandelaki verbally offended me so I beat him,” Meladze says.
Kandelaki is sure that that provocation was “staged” and it had pure political grounds.
The Georgian Dream coalition is not only a pro-Russian force, it also physically assaults its political opponents,” Kandelaki says.
The United National Movement members speak about some other facts of offenses as well that took place several months ago, including beating of MP Nugzar Tsiklauri and Zurab Tchiaberashvili. Both of the cases are being investigated by the Interior ministry. The United National Movement is unanimous that the cases were organized by the Georgian Dream coalition.
The Georgian Dream itself calls the allegations groundless, stressing that they were private cases, having no link with politics. They emphasize that the cases will be investigated by law-enforcement adequately.
