Police Detain Two Members of Girchi Party

Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) confirms that two members of the New Political Center Girchi have been detained on charges of hooliganism and police resistance.

The MIA explains that the police officers stopped one person, who was allegedly a drug dealer, but the members of Girchi tried to get in the way.

"Law enforcers repeatedly called on the two citizens to keep order, but they did not obey the legitimate request of the police, verbally abused the police officers and tried to prevent them from taking the suspected citizen to the police station,” the MIA reports.

Girchi leader Zurab Japaridze says the MIA is “false and shameful.” He says the ministry is trying to justify the forceful actions of the police officers.

Japaridze calims the police stop and repress ordinary citizens every day.

“The current case became known because it happened at our party office. The police were trying to detain an innocent person,” he stated, adding that the person accused by MIA is his relative.

Japaridze launched the New Political Center-Girchi (Pine Cone) after he and three other lawmakers left the United National Movement (UNM) party in May 2015.

The party members call for a liberal drugs policy, saying people should not be sent to prison for drug consumption.

By Thea Morrison