Georgian investigative authorities have opened a criminal case following a conflict between civil activists and Nani Gvarishvili, a professor at Batumi State University. The investigation is being conducted under Article 126 of the Criminal Code (“violence”).
On May 28, activists Tako Surmanidze and Nona Mirzoeva were collecting signatures in Batumi for a petition titled “Give Children Medicine” – the authors demand the import of medications for children suffering from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. As Surmanidze told the Batumelebi outlet, about 300 signatures were collected near the university in 40 minutes.
The incident occurred when Professor Nani Gvarishvili left the university building with her husband. According to the activist, she behaved aggressively, started shouting, and said that “the state itself knows perfectly well who needs to be funded.”
Later, the young women posted a video on social media showing the university professor striking one of them, causing her phone to fall out of her hands. The students hope that the investigation will also be able to retrieve footage from outdoor security cameras, which would help establish the circumstances of the incident.
The lawyer representing the young women stated that, alongside the criminal case against the professor, she would demand that administrative charges also be filed for insulting one of the students.
Nani Gvarishvili herself told TV Pirveli that “the video is edited” and added that young people need to be taught proper behavior: “How to listen to their elders and talk to them.”
According to Batumelebi, the incident will also be reviewed by the BSU Ethics Council.
