12:57, 29 October 2018

Zaza Saralidze accused of beating policeman

Zaza Saralidze. Photo by Inna Kukudjanova for the "Caucasian Knot"

Zaza Saralidze, the father of a schoolboy killed in Tbilisi has been charged with assaulting a policeman. His defence has disagreed with the prosecution.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on October 26, Zaza Saralidze was hospitalized from a police station, where he was taken for beating up a policeman who tried to prevent him from setting up a tent outside the parliament building.

Zaza Saralidze, the father of one of the two schoolboys, killed on December 1, 2017, had been on a hunger strike since September 10 in front of the Georgian parliament. During his protest, he twice needed doctor's help. On September 18, he stopped his hunger strike, but continued the protest together with his supporters. On September 24, Saralidze applied to the Tbilisi Mayoralty for a permit to set up tents in order to go on with his action in inclement weather. According to his story, he received a permit, but on September 26, policemen did not allow him to set up a tent. On October 26, after Saralidze was hospitalized, his mother Marina Begadze headed the protest action.

For assaulting a policeman, Saralidze faces from four to seven years in prison.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 28, 2018 at 12:45 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.