Ex-Prime Minister Hospitalised Following Hotel Lobby Beating Amid Political Crisis
“He was brutally beaten but survived,” Ana Buchukuri said, noting Gakharia sustained injuries to his face and head during the attack by multiple men, Reuters reports.
Giorgi Gakharia, Georgia’s former prime minister and current opposition leader, was hospitalised after being assaulted late Tuesday in a hotel lobby in Batumi, a Black Sea coastal city, his party’s spokeswoman confirmed.
“He was brutally beaten but survived,” Ana Buchukuri said, noting Gakharia sustained injuries to his face and head during the attack by multiple men, Reuters reports.
On Wednesday, Gakharia reassured supporters via Facebook that his health was stable. Meanwhile, his party, For Georgia, condemned the incident as a “brutal, coordinated group attack,” holding the government accountable.
“This politically motivated attack is a blatant attempt to intimidate the opposition and suppress dissenting voices,” the party stated.
The assault comes amid escalating political tensions following allegations that the ruling Georgian Dream party rigged the October parliamentary election. Protests have since erupted, met with police crackdowns.
British and U.S. embassies criticised the violence against opposition figures, journalists, and protesters, calling it “deeply disturbing.”
