Mayor of Marneuli arrested on charges of inhumane treatment

The Mayor of Marneuli Temur Abazov has been arrested for participating in the inhumane treatment and humiliation of a citizen. The prosecutor’s office of Georgia’s Kvemo Kartli region is investigating the incident.

Furthermore, a judicial investigation has begun against the deputy of the Georgian parliament, the representative of the United National Movement party Azer Suleymanov, as well as against a member of the Georgian Dream party, a member of the Marneuli Sakrebulo (city council), Ramin Allahverdiyev and one of the relatives of Marneuli’s mayor.

The victim used foul language against the former Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili and the Mayor of Marneuli Temur Abazov. Information on the incident was made public on 12 June by Community Radio Marneuli and Studio Monitor program.

The victim insulted Ivanishvili and Abazov in his speech at the ‘Do Not Kill’ protest rally (protest against the corrupt investigation of two teenagers who were murdered last year in Tbilisi). A video of the victim cursing was spread online. He was later forced to apologise publicly and then smear his face with his own urine, of which a video is also available online. Instead of using the surnames of the people whom he insulted, his apology was made to the number 41 – the ballot number under which the ruling Georgian Dream political party participates in election campaigns.

The information disseminated by the Georgian media says that the order ‘to punish’ the victim came from the mayor of Marneuli Temur Abazov. He personally participated in the humiliation, along with other local representatives of the Georgian Dream party. Abazov himself denies this.

“I was not informed of this. I did not see the video. I am not familiar with this. I’m glad that I did not see it, and I did not hear anything about what happened. I’m not going to watch it, I assume it’s unpleasant,” Abazov told Studio Monitor.

Journalists were not able to meet with the alleged victim. He was taken to the police department before journalists had an opportunity to meet with him.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs instituted proceedings under Article 144(3), ‘Degrading or Inhumane Treatment’, of the criminal code. The case is being investigated by the prosecutor’s office of the Kvemo Kartli region.