The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia states that media reports claiming several police officers involved in the beating of two citizens in Gori have allegedly left the country are false and unverified.
The ministry emphasized that not a single police officer present during the incident has crossed the state border of Georgia.
The agency also stated that police officer Shota Maruashvili, mentioned by Formula TV, was not at the scene of the beating of the Gori residents.
As for another officer, Besik Kvrivishvili, according to the ministry, he arrived at the scene only after the citizens had already been beaten.
The MIA pointed out that the dissemination of such information is aimed at discrediting the ministry and police officers.
It urged Georgian media and interested parties to double-check factual circumstances with the relevant authorities to avoid misleading the Georgian public.
As a reminder, the court ordered detention in custody for the six police officers accused of violence against Papuna Lotsulashvili and Lasha Abisonashvili — Aleksi Badalov, Giorgi Tskrialashvili, Saba Tsavelidze, Ivane Misireli, Vladimir Goderdzishvili, and Beso Malatsidze.
The incident occurred in Gori, in the so-called “Kombinat” district, where law enforcement officers used physical force against two citizens — Papuna Lotsulashvili and his friend.
In connection with the incident, six law enforcement officers were detained. They have been charged under Article 333, Part 3, Paragraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia — abuse of official authority committed with the use of violence, which carries a penalty of imprisonment for a term of 5 to 8 years.
A case has also been opened against Papuna Lotsulashvili himself under Article 353 of the Criminal Code — use of violence against a police officer.
The public is bewildered as to why the police officers have not been charged under the article on torture of a citizen.