8 Detained During Confrontation in Afrika Settlement Released

8 persons detained during a confrontation in the Afrika settlement in Tbilisi have been released on the basis of a handwritten note.

All eight persons were arrested under Articles 166 (petty hooliganism) and 173 (disobedience to a lawful order or request of a law enforcement officer) of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

For the record, yesterday a confrontation occurred between the law enforcers and the population in Tbilisi's Afrika settlement, where the Tbilisi City Hall started dismantling a number of buildings. Locals were trying not to allow workers to continue knocking them down.

Locals say several persons were supposedly injured. They note that there was no prior warning from the municipal inspection about the demolition of the buildings. In turn, authorities claim that several buildings in Africa were constructed illegally and despite several warnings by the Tbilisi City Hall, locals continued to live there. 

"The investigation revealed that the buildings were located at the mentioned location without permission. The municipal inspection started the process of dismantling the buildings in accordance with the law, on the instructions of the Mayor of Tbilisi municipality," they note. 

By Ana Dumbadze 

Image: Ipn