Misha Mshvildadze, a co-founder and presenter in Georgia's opposition-minded Formula TV channel, was attacked in Tbilisi late on Tuesday, he said while posting his photo, adding the incident could probably be captured by surveillance cameras. 

Mshvildadze said he was wearing headphones and was walking to a supermarket when one of two individuals standing nearby approached and punched him in the face, adding the perpetrator reportedly told him “why do you curse the Patriarch?”. 

The Georgian Interior Ministry said shortly after they were looking into the incident. 

The 51-percent of shares in the channel is owned by the currently wanted foreign defence minister David Kezerashvili, who is convicted in absentia for embezzlement of state funds while in office under the United National Movement government. 

The report by the British Public Broadcaster earlier this year also connected the former official with a large-scale fraudulent scheme defrauding millions from European pensioners. 

The Georgian Dream authorities claim Kezerashvili was using the “stolen money” to fund “destructive opposition, NGOs and TV channels” in the country to back sparking unrest and change in the government. 

They also accuse the specific groups and media organisations of “fighting Christian values”, including Mshvildadze, who slams the government and the representatives of the Patriarchate for their actions or alleged affiliation “with the Kremlin” in his comedy show.