Suspect in comedian Onise Okriashvili assault case released on ₾5,000 bail

A suspect detained over alleged violence against Georgian stand-up comedian and civic activist Onise Okriashvili has been released from the courtroom after the court set bail at ₾5,000 ($1,905).

The prosecution had requested bail with detention as a guarantee of the measure.

The Prosecutor’s Office said an investigation by the Ministry of Internal Affairs found that on the night of 22 July in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi, the suspect physically assaulted Okriashvili following a dispute over an alleged insult directed at Georgian writer Nodar Dumbadze.

The prosecution said the suspect struck Okriashvili several times in the head and other parts of the body, causing him physical pain.

Law enforcement detained the suspect several hours after the incident. He was charged under Article 126, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns violence.