Opposition leader assaulted by man linked to military service evasion through party’s religious organization

Iago Khvichia, leader of the Girchi opposition party, on Thursday reported being assaulted by an individual whose brother had previously evaded compulsory military service through Girchi’s religious organization.

In 2017, Girchi introduced a mechanism allowing individuals to avoid military service by obtaining a religious title from its affiliated organization. However, this opportunity was revoked with the adoption of the country’s new defense code last year.

Khvichia, who has been discharged from the medical facility and is in satisfactory health, recounted the incident where an unidentified man entered his office and physically attacked him without provocation. He attributed the assault to “slanderous propaganda” spread by the ruling Georgian Dream party and its associates and alleged the assailant, influenced by this propaganda and by cleric Shalva (Kekelia) and his associates, harbored “unfounded animosity” towards Girchi.According to Khvichia, the assailant accused Girchi of affiliating with Satan due to his brother’s departure to America and verbally abused Girchi’s staff before resorting to physical violence. Despite efforts to defend themselves, the assailant fled the scene, he said. 

Khvichia announced that he would personally oversee the matter and expressed distrust in the current court system, choosing not to engage with the authorities’ investigation at this time.