Tbilisi: A court in capital has fined a member of the opposition party, the United National Movement of Georgia. The member has been fined due to disobedience of the police order.
This is being seen as a significant moral setback for UNM ahead of the Parliament election scheduled for October this year.The charges against the member were imposed for Hooliganism along with non-compliance with necessary police orders. The order in this regard was pronounced by Judge Nino Enukidze of Tbilisi City Court on September 12, 2024.
The UNM’s member Irakli Nadiradze faces the heat of the law which could affect the image of the party in the coming election as well. At the same time the Tbilisi court also fined him and imposed a penalty of GEL 2,500. The total fine is approximately USD 928.
On the other hand UNM’s convicted member objected to the decision of the court; he said that this decision was very unfortunate and proved that there was nothing to do with the offense. It fact during the trial; police officers gave totally contradictory statements against me. All this is being done to stop us from contesting the election. But I want to assure you that these tactics of opposition parties cannot deter us from contesting the election for the protection of democratic rights.”
It is worth noting that he was arrested by law enforcement on September 4. Another member of UNM Sakrebulo, Irakli Edzgveradze was also arrested under articles 166 and 173 of the Administrative Code of Georgia for the above-mentioned offense.
It is to be noted that Nadiradze was released on parole by the court order soon after his detention. But another member of Edzgveradze was relased on September 6 from the courtroom.
The lawyer of Edzgveradze said that he has been falsely implicated and harassed by law enforcement agencies. However as per a police official Edzgveradze’s unlawful acts were affecting the investigation related to a drug crime in the area where he lives.
