Assaults on the Opposition Continuing in Adjara

Assaults on the Opposition Continuing in Adjara

Late last night the office of the movement “Chveni Ajara” was attacked for the second time. According to Tamaz Diasamidze, the leader of the movement, at about 2 a.m. two cars approached their office, several people got out, and began to throw stones at the office windows, which were broken. They then rushed into the office and broke a variety of newly purchased equipment.

Assaults on the opposition parties have become more frequent. The day before yesterday, a suspicious fire broke out in the office of the “Christian-Democrats” and

Also, Avtandil Darchia, the leader of the party, was recently beaten by several armed men.

On February 20, when leaving the office Avtandil Darchia, was put into a taxi and taken to one of the city's bridges. He was then dragged out of the car and severely beaten. Darchia claims that the people who attacked him wanted to break his legs, but since they could not manage to do that they hit him in the face with the gun. After the gunshot he fainted. “When I came to, I was lying in the snow”, says Darchia. This incident took place in front of the house of George Abashidze (the mayor of Batumi, and son of Aslan Abashidze), where guards are on duty 24 hours a day.

Darchia is currently the 1st Hospital of Batumi. His right hand and nose are broken, and he has bruises on his face. He has also complained about pain in his entire body, although according to his doctor, he is not in any danger, and should recover completely.