The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on September 10 that three people had been detained over the clashes of September 8 and protest of September 9 on Melikishvili Avenue in Tbilisi. Two of them are Georgian Dream activists accused of violence, while the third is a pro-European protester who spray-painted “Russian Dream” on Kakha Kaladze’s campaign banner.
None, however, face charges for assaulting police — despite video evidence of Georgian Dream supporters hurling objects and striking officers on September 8 — while pro-European activists remain behind bars on far weaker allegations.
According to the ministry, Z.M. (born in 1965) and I.B. (born in 2003) were arrested on charges of group violence, while I.D. (born in 2002) was arrested on charges of damaging or destroying property.
“Evidence obtained by the investigation established that Z.M. and I.B. physically assaulted participants of the protest march on Melikishvili Avenue on September 8. As for I.D., he damaged an election banner of the Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia candidate for Tbilisi mayor on Melikishvili Avenue,” the ministry’s statement reads.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs calls on all individuals connected to the incidents to “cooperate with the investigation and appear at the relevant unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs immediately upon being summoned.”
The investigation is being conducted under Article 126¹, Article 162¹, and Article 187 of the Criminal Code.
What Happened
On September 8, protesters gathered outside Kakha Kaladze’s mayoral campaign headquarters on Melikishvili Avenue in Tbilisi, following an announcement made hours earlier. Despite a heavy police presence, Georgian Dream members and supporters came out of the office, spread into the surrounding area, and confronted the protesters — sparking clashes and violence.
During clashes police insulted and obstructed Netgazeti reporter Ketevan Khutsishvili while she was broadcasting live on Facebook, covering the events outside the Georgian Dream mayoral candidate’s headquarters.
“Police were pushing most of the protesters and journalists toward Parliament and were preventing us from filming. Journalists were recording how Georgian Dream representatives were leaving the headquarters, throwing objects, and verbally insulting people.
At some point, I saw a Publika reporter have his phone taken away and followed the person who gave the stolen phone to another man in a car. I confronted the one in the car and demanded that he return my colleague’s phone. He gave it to me. Then I approached the office again and, as I was continuing to film those leaving the HQ hurling insults at both media representatives and protesters, some of them threatened me, saying, “You’ll lose that phone too.” They used crude gestures and swore at us.
Then one police officer came up, told me to “stop provoking,” grabbed my hands, and dragged me. I was saying that I was going to leave if he would let go of me, and also that it was a shame how they were treating a media representative. Soon two more officers joined; one of them insulted me with swear words. Afterwards, a man in a blue T-shirt also came and hurled insults. Finally, they dragged me and shoved me into a group of police officers, and one of them pushed me. Later I found that I had a scratch on my elbow,” – recalled Khutsishvili.
As we learned later “the man in a blue T-shirt” is Khuta Pachkoria Deputy Director of Tbilisi Police Department.
According to Publika, during live coverage of the clashes on Melikishvili Avenue, a Publika journalist was struck, forced to drop his phone, and then had it taken away. This incident was also being livestreamed by Ketevan Khutsishvili.
Several people were injured, among them activist Tako Kheladze and Hungarian journalist László Róbert Mezes.
⭕️Hungarian journalist László Róbert Mezes was injured on Melikishvili Avenue in #Tbilisi, as Georgian Dream supporters attacked protesters and journalists outside Kakha Kaladze’s election campaign HQ. @LaszloRobMezes #GeorgiaProtests pic.twitter.com/Wi2jnzyx9l
— ბათუმელები • Batumelebi.ge (@Batumelebi_ge) September 8, 2025
According to Kheladze, so-called “titushkys” (hired thugs) confronted protesters outside Kaladze’s HQ.
Video footage also showed that several police officers were struck by objects thrown from Kaladze’s HQ, as well as fists from Georgian Dream activists. One police officer was hit in the face with a water bottle, another with a fist — yet none of the assailants, who were Georgian Dream supporters, were detained. In one of the videos, a Georgian Dream supporter who took part in the violence can be heard telling a police officer: “I’m one of yours, from Dream.”
Most of the violent individuals have been identified by media outlets and social media users who published their names and photos.
On September 8, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgian Dream launched an investigation into the clash outside Kakha Kaladze’s campaign headquarters under Article 126 of the Criminal Code [group violence].
On September 9, a large group of protesters gathered outside the Kaladze’s election campaign HQ. Some protesters spray-painted the election banner on the building.
On September 9, after statements made by representatives of the Georgian Dream party, the investigation was additionally extended to Article 162¹ of the Criminal Code, which concerns violence or threats of violence during pre-election campaigning or campaign events – seemingly targeting pro-European protesters.
