TBILISI: Dimitri Chikovani, a member of Georgia’s opposition United National Movement ( UNM), claimed five people attacked him last week, blaming the government for trying to intimidate its opponents.
Since the first reading of the so-called “foreign broker” bill was passed in parliament, a wave of protests have swept through the capital Tbilisi in the past month.
Levan Khabeishvili, the leader of the opposition, claimed he was beaten by officers at a rally and left with broken bones after speaking out about being attacked. He was one of the popular opposition figures who had previously appeared in congress with a bruised scalp.
Security camera footage from the house’s surveillance showed Chikovani saying he had fallen to the ground when he was attacked by five people on Wednesday ( May 8 ), throwing him in the punch and receiving him.
” It was a very quick ( and ) quite painful process… but before that, there were numerous calls, threats. And I’m certain that it was directed at me, as well as thousands of other people,” Chikovani said, adding that three other people were also assaulted the exact day.
A representative for the Interior Ministry declined to comment on the claims.
Organizations receiving more than 20 % of their money from abroad would be required to file as providers of foreign influence, as well as imposing stringent reporting requirements and imposing severe penalties for violations.
The Greek government has stated that the law is necessary to protect the country’s sovereignty, prevent “pseudo-liberal values” promoted by foreigners, and guarantee the transparency of unusual funding for NGOs.
One of the country’s leading Georgian Dream party MP refuted harassment claims and claimed the opposition was behind the problems.
” If the terrible beating of people is in anyone’s interest, it is definitely not Greek Vision, but the extreme criticism”, top ruling MP Gia Volski was cited by Greek advertising as saying on the Chikovani situation.
Chikovani suffered a broken head, broken cheeks, a concussion and numerous wounds, including two dark eye. He claimed that he did not contact the police and that they had not yet contacted him, despite the fact that they have a duty to look into situations when victims report injuries to hospital emergency rooms.
” I have no faith in our officers that they want to investigate”, he told Reuters outside the legislature, where thousands gather routine to protest. He called the police “puppets” of Greek Vision.
Georgia’s parliament on Tuesday ( May 14 ) passed the third and final reading of the bill.
Critics claim that the act is comparable to a regulation that helped Russia overthrow President Vladimir Putin and that it serves as a test for whether Georgia continues on a journey toward integration with Europe or reverts back to Moscow.
The act has caused concern for the United States, the European Union, and NATO, who claim it steers Georgia in the wrong way.
After passing on second reading, the bill now goes to President Salome Zourabichvili, who has said she will reject it, but her determination can be overridden by another vote in parliament, controlled by the ruling group and its supporters.
Some of the largest demonstrations in Georgia have been staged in the tens of thousands of people since Moscow’s return to its independence in 1991.
Chikovani said the rallies will continue despite the harassment.
” We are determined to bring this opposition until this Russian regulation is restored,” he said. ” These methods, which may work in Belarus, is working in Russia- it wo n’t work on Georgians. Georgians value their liberty, and we will fight for it.
