Opposition activist hospitalized with injuries after attack in Georgia

In the capital of Georgia on Thursday night, unknown persons ambushed the house of Dmitry Chikovani, secretary for press relations of Mikheil Saakashvili’s United National Movement (UNM) opposition party.

When the politician drove up to the house and got out of the car and entered the entrance, several people attacked him, threw him to the ground and severely beat him, including kicking him in the head and face.

Chikovani was hospitalized with serious injuries. He told reporters that the attack was “organized by the authorities” because of his position against the bill “On Transparency of External Influence” or, as Georgian oppositionists call this document, “the Russian law.”

Dmitry Chikovani promised not to stop fighting and will soon join the mass protests ongoing in Tbilisi and other cities of the country demanding the withdrawal of the controversial bill as infringing on the rights of civil society.

Simultaneously with the attack on Chikovani, in another district of the Georgian capital, a group of unknown people attacked Gia Japaridze, an expert at the Ilya Chavchavadze Foundation. He was also severely beaten.

Japaridze has repeatedly criticized the “law on foreign agents” initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream (GM) party. In addition, he is the brother of Zurab Japaridze, the leader of the opposition libertarian party “Girchi – More Freedom,” which is considered one of the main organizers of mass protests.

During a briefing on Thursday, Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri promised journalists to “investigate the facts of the attacks.” At the same time, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that on Wednesday evening the police arrested six protesters in Tbilisi. They are charged with “participation in mass violence” and “damage to state property” during a demonstration and clashes with special police units near the parliament building on May 1.

Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili at a special briefing this week said that the political council of the GM decided to create a special register of people who on social networks call on citizens to fight against the “Russian law” and go to protests. Such persons, according to Speaker Papuashvili, “will be subject to public condemnation” after being included in a special list.

Member of the UNM political council Tinatin Bokuchava expressed the opinion that in fact the authorities need a special register “to organize attacks and beat up oppositionists,” as happened with Chikovani and Japaridze.

The next mass demonstration against the bill “On Transparency of External Influence”, discussed in parliament and already adopted in the second reading, is scheduled in Tbilisi on May 11, when the country traditionally celebrates Europe Day.