Prominent Georgian opposition figure tried to set fire to court office
Georgian politician tried to torch court
According to the Interior Ministry, Aleko Elisashvili, one of the leaders of the opposition party Lelo – For Georgia, attempted to set fire to the Tbilisi City Court administration building on 29 November. The information was confirmed by his lawyer, Giorgi Rekhviashvili.
Police footage shows Elisashvili badly beaten.
According to the Interior Ministry, in the early hours of 29 November, Aleko Elisashvili, his face covered with a mask, smashed the glass façade of the Tbilisi City Court administration building with a hammer and entered the building. He then poured petrol throughout the premises, including on office supplies, equipment and documents, and attempted to set the building on fire, but was detained before he could do so.
“Elisashvili was immediately detained at the scene by court marshals. He resisted, using physical force and a firearm he was carrying.
Despite his resistance, Aleksandre Elisashvili was detained on site.
A court marshal was taken to hospital with injuries sustained during the confrontation. Elisashvili also suffered injuries during the arrest as a result of his resistance. Police seized the tools used in the attempted crime as evidence,” the Interior Ministry said.
Statement from the lawyer
According to lawyer Giorgi Rekhviashvili, the politician told him he acted in protest against what he sees as an unfair trial and “only regrets missing the few seconds needed to finish the job.”
He said Elisashvili deliberately chose the early hours of Saturday morning to ensure no one would be harmed.
Lawyer Giorgi Rekhviashvili:
“I was allowed to meet Aleko Elisashvili at the Dighomi detention facility in Tbilisi 10 hours after his arrest. He has serious facial injuries and was severely beaten.
I am now relaying Elisashvili’s position and making a statement on his behalf.
He carried out this act to protest against what he sees as an unjust court. The words he passed on to me were: ‘Into the fire with oligarchy, into the fire with the unjust court’ — slogans used by participants in Georgia’s more than year-long pro-European protests (JAMnews).
Aleko said he only regrets not having the few extra seconds needed to finish the job.
He said he thought his action through carefully. He chose the early hours of a Saturday specifically to ensure no one was harmed. The aim of his protest was to draw public attention to the number of activists he believes have been unlawfully and unfairly convicted, and to how Georgian Dream uses the courts to reinforce its dictatorship. This is the statement from Aleko Elisashvili,” Rekhviashvili said.
Georgian politician tried to torch court
