In Adjara, Georgian Dream’s Deputy Minister of Culture, Zaur Akhvlediani, has confirmed to Batumelebi that he had a verbal [and, according to one version of events, physical] confrontation with a citizen during an event at the Adjara Art Museum.
Earlier, it was reported that Zaur Akhvlediani was physically attacked in a public space and sustained injuries, including facial injuries. Speaking to Batumelebi, Akhvlediani denied the reports.
The incident took place several days ago.
On 28 July, we asked Zaur Akhvlediani what happened at the museum that day and whether there had indeed been an attempt to attack him.
“It was a personal matter. He remembered something and tried to provoke me. He was walking around inside the museum, causing trouble, and I took him outside because everyone heard his rude behaviour. Obviously, I was not going to tolerate that much,” Akhvlediani wrote to Batumelebi.
We asked Zaur Akhvlediani whether he sustained any physical injuries during the incident. He responded: “He did not even raise a hand. He got roughed up and stopped bothering us.” he wrote.
Akhvlediani also confirmed that the man who attempted to confront him in the public space was someone he knew, although he did not disclose the person’s identity. “He is not a public official; he has a business,” Akhvlediani said.
We also asked whether he had contacted the police and whether an investigation had been launched into the incident. Zaur Akhvlediani told Batumelebi that no investigation had been opened because he had not filed a complaint with the police.
