11:40, 19 September 2018

Zaza Saralidze, a father of a schoolboy killed in Georgia, stops his hunger strike

Zaza Saralidze. Photo: Mziya Saganilidze, RFE/RL

On September 18, after a meeting with Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Zaza Saralidze, an initiator of the action "Do not kill", decided to stop the hunger strike.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Zaza Saralidze, a father of a schoolboy, killed in Tbilisi in December 2017, went on hunger strike in front of the Georgian parliament building. During the protest action, Zaza Saralidze was twice provided with medical care, but every time, he still returned from the hospital to the place of the protest action. On September 18, Mirza Subeliani, accused of failure to report the murder of schoolchildren, was left in custody and expressed his condolences to Zaza Saralidze.

Protests related to the murder of two schoolchildren, including the Zaza Saralidze's son, began in Tbilisi on May 31.

On September 18, Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, visited Zaza Saralidze, who continued his hunger strike for the ninth day.

"His Holiness called me on to stop the hunger strike," Zaza Saralidze told reporters of the "Rustavi-2" after the meeting with Ilia II. According to Zaza Saralidze, he was touched that the Catholicos proposed him food during the meeting.

Despite the termination of the hunger strike, Zaza Saralidze says he intends to continue the protest action in front of the parliament building.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 19, 2018 at 00:53 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Inna Kukudjanova

Source: CK correspondent