Zaza Saralidze Faces Imprisonment for Attacking Police
The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia reports that they arrested Zaza Saralidze, father of slain teenager David Saralidze, for attacking policemen.
“Zaza Saralidze continued to physically assault the policemen in the ambulance, which arrived to assist the police,” the MIA stated.
The ministry reports an investigation is underway under 353(I) Article of the Criminal Code of Georgia, involving an attack on a police officer.
If convicted, Saralidze faces 4 to 7 years in prison.
After his arrest, Saralidze's lawyer, Nestan Londaridze, told media that her client became unwell at the police department and he was transferred to the hospital.
“Zaza has an emotional shock and he has been without food all day which caused an increase of sugar and blood pressure, so we demanded he be transferred to the hospital,” said Londaridze.
The confrontation between Saralidze and the police officers took place during a protest rally at the old building of parliament on Rustaveli Avenue.
After the father of the murdered teen was detained, his wife, Marina Bregadze, joined the protesters.
She announced that now that her husband is detained, she will lead the protest rallies.
“My husband was detained, but he is not alone. From now on, I will continue his work,” she added.
Saralidze’s son Davit and another teenager, Levan Dadunashvili, were both stabbed to death in a fight between schoolboys on Khorava Street on December 1, 2017.
On May 31, Tbilisi City Court charged two minors in connection to the murders - one for the premeditated murder of Dadunashvili and the second for the attempted murder of Saralidze; however, the court stated that they could not determine who exactly had killed Saralidze, which sparked mass protests in the capital on the suspicion of an intentional cover-up.
By Thea Morrison
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