Environmental expert critical to Gov’t rejects domestic violence allegations

Thea Godoladze, an environmental professional who has been critical to the Government’s environmental policies over the years, on Tuesday rejected allegations on domestic violence, following Rustavi 2 TV channel’s short announcement on her charges. 

In her comments, Godoladze explained she had accused his partner of violence, while the latter claimed Godoladze had earlier used violence against his 17-year-old son. 

Sapari, a domestic NGO protecting women’s rights, also released a statement, saying Godoladze, who currently chairs the Institute of Earth Sciences, addressed them a year and a half ago, had a status of victim of violence and her partner had been released on 15,000 GEL bail. 

“The court will finish the consideration of this case soon. In order to take revenge and pressure, the abuser himself accused the victim woman of violence. Despite the fact the restraining order issued against Godoladze was canceled by the court, the prosecutor’s office charged her anyway”, Sapari said. 

The organization claimed the goal of the “black PR stunt” against Godoladze was to “silence” the professional and “shift attention” from her criticism to her private life. 

Rati Ionatamishvili, the ruling Georgian Dream party MP, immediately responded to the allegations and said “from now on, I will have no confidence in her words”. He also accused Godoladze of “misleading” the public over the Shovi landslide on August 3 killing 29, and said her comments on the Government’s “ineffective work” was “actually a fact of violence against the public.”