Man Sentenced to Two Years over July 6 Attack on Journalist

The Tbilisi City Court sentenced man accused of attacking a Palitra News TV cameraman Beka Mshvildadze on July 6, 2021 to two years in prison.

The incident took place in downtown Tbilisi when an anti-violence, pro-LGBT+ “For Freedom” demonstration in response to the homophobic pogroms of July 5 was met with a violent counterprotest of far-right groups.

The suspect in the attack, Irakli Kavlashvili, was charged with Articles 154 (2) and 126 of the Criminal Code, envisaging interference with a journalist’s professional duty and violence, respectively. The crime carries the maximum prison sentence of two years.

Kavlashvili’s sentencing would make the first verdict delivered in the series of attacks on more than 50 journalists on July 5-6. In total police have detained 27 persons in connection with the violence.

But the Georgian Government has faced domestic and international criticism, as law enforcers have yet to identify and press charges against the organizers of the mass violence seven months later.

Public Defender of Georgia, Nino Lomjaria has requested the authorities to launch criminal proceedings against Zurab Makharadze, far-right Alt-Info TV outlet anchor and Spiridon Tskipurishvili, a Georgian Orthodox clergyman, over organizing group violence on July 5.

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