Police close Batumi gym after libertarian party 'rents as home' to avoid corona restrictions

Police have fined and closed a gym in Batumi after the leader of libertarian party Girchi, Zurab Japaridze, rented the fitness centre and invited the public to ‘work out in his home.’

Reformer Fitness was inspected on November 28 and fined 10,000 GEL for failure to comply with the coronavirus restrictions limiting the operations of gyms, spas and saunas.

“I have gym equipment leased from Giorgi [the owner of the club], and any person from Batumi or its environs, after the gyms are closed, can come here, to my house, and train.”

He said that he had entered into a verbal lease of the fitness club as a residential building, so no one has the right to fine him.

“The labor inspectorate can come and see if the cash register is working. The apparatus will not work, they will turn around and leave, I will not let anyone else in here,” Zurab Japaridze said.

He also noted that the space will only be used for training.

“I will only let those who train here. You cannot drink or smoke here”, Japaridze said, “I too will come from Tbilisi to train, where everything is closed.”