Who Insulted Journalist of Guriis Moambe and Rustavi 2

Nino Mshvidobadze, Guria

Unidentified people attacked journalist of Guriis Moambe and Rustavi 2 Vladimer Menabde  in Ozurgeti; motive of this assault was not identified yet. The journalist wrote on his facebook page that Georgian Dream’s activists from Georgian Dream, with Lasha Glonti as a leader, attacked him. Georgian Dream categorically denies connection of their activists with the incident.

“A group of Georgian Dream’s activists attacked me near restaurant Kalakuri in Ozurgeti. Former employee of Ozurgeti government (who resigned a month before the election in protest and joined Georgian Dream) Lasha Glonti was their leader; they insulted and physically assaulted me. The attackers were discontent about my article published in the newspaper. I would like to underline that Lasha Glonti continued threatening me with liquidation in the Ozurgeti police officers where police officers also witnessed it,” Menabde wrote in the social network.

Vladimer Menabde spoke about incident details with Humanrights.ge. “It was wedding of our colleague on that day. I soon left the party together with my colleagues. Restaurant Kalakuri was nearby and Georgian Dream’s activists were standing there. Unfortunately, I do not know their names except Lasha Glonti. I know one person’s surname too – Kechekhmadze. They started to insult me without any explanation. When we approached our cars in the auto-parking space, they started to physically assault us.

-Did not they explain reason of insulting you?

-Because of an article or a TV-story. He said an article was written about him. I do not know exactly; they were too drunk and could not make out the idea of their speech. I do not know what investigator wrote in the interrogation protocol. I think they beat and insulted me for no reason; employees of the auto-parking and restaurant hardly managed to take them away. After my testimony, Lasha Glonti was also summoned to the police but he was very drunk. He continued my insulting there. He was shouting that he had been chasing me for a month and wanted to kill me because I was writing nasty things about him. When I was interrogated at the police station, he wanted to attack me again. Investigator gave a notice to him. Other police officers did not say anything. They just said how “kurdgela” had destroyed his future.

-Who is Kurdgela?

-It is Glonti’s nickname.

-So, you blame two people in the assault on you?

-I can recognize others but I do not know their names. I know only Lasha Glonti and certain Kechakhmadze. When Glonti arrived at police office, he was very drunk. He was shouting I was writing nasty things about them. I think he complains about an article published after elections.  Criminal case was launched under Article 188 – premeditated gross injury of body though I was not seriously injured and the qualification might be changed into interference in the professional activities of a journalist. However, it was not interference in to my professional activities either; they met me in the street. I do not know how everything will finish.

-It is interesting why do you allege that Georgian Dream’s activists assaulted you whilst you recognized only Glonti? Did they tell you that they were Georgian Dream’s activists?

-Before elections, when I worked on articles or TV-stories, I permanently saw those people at the assemblies of the Georgian Dream. Everybody saw them actively participating in the assemblies, particularly Lasha Glonti. As for membership, Georgian Dream’s representatives usually deny membership of certain people in the coalition. So, I cannot say whether they are members or not; but they are activists. During the assault they cursed and told me I was punished for my journalistic activities. I would like to note that Lasha Glonti’s aggressive behavior in police officer convinces me that a serious power stands behind him and he has close relation with police.

Humanrights.ge contacted head of Georgian Dream’s Ozurgeti district office Kote Sharashenidze: “I would like to underline that coalition’s members and activists did not participate in the assault of Menabde. He is beaten before every election but I do not know reason. I assure you that people, whom Lado Menabde blames in his assault, have never had contact with Georgian Dream. Lasha Glonti really left National Movement before elections but he was not our activist. I do not know him either.

-Lado Menabde said certain Kechakhmadze also participated in the incident…

-I do not know him either. I repeat again, our members and activists did not participate in the incident. We cooperate with Mr. Lado, we know him but we have no connection with this fact and those people, who physically assaulted Lado, were not our activists.