Armed Assailant Detained, All Hostages Freed

Georgian police detained an armed assailant on the microfinance company in Tbilisi’s Didube District and freed all of the nine hostages, Patrol Police Head Vazha Siradze confirmed to journalists.

None of the hostages have been injured, Siradze added.

Police later clarified that the assailant had taken 19 hostages.

The Ministry of Interior is leading an investigation under Articles 236 and 144 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, involving illegal purchase, storage and carrying of firearms, and taking two or more people hostage, respectively.

A reportedly drunken hand-grenade wielding young man broke into the microfinance company in the late afternoon of November 20, Friday. Facebook video address allegedly shot on the crime scene showed the assailant listing his demands, including adoption of gambling ban by the new parliament, limitation of interest rates for bank loans to an annual 7%, and lowering of medication prices and limiting the profits of pharmacy networks to 10%.

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