Ruling party supporter arrested for organized assault after threatening Interior Minister a day earlier

Tbilisi police have arrested Mancho (Manana) Giorgobiani - a known supporter of the ruling Georgian Dream party - on charges of organizing and participating in group violence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Wednesday.

The arrest followed a public social media post in which Giorgobiani threatened and insulted the Interior Minister Geka Geladze, just one day earlier.

According to investigators, the assault took place late on 2 November at a Tbilisi supermarket. Giorgobiani allegedly verbally abused two employees - a 19-year-old and a 21-year-old - before contacting a 29-year-old acquaintance. The acquaintance arrived at the store with several others, and the group reportedly forced the employees outside and physically attacked them.

Police said all six alleged perpetrators had been identified. The ministry has released surveillance footage from inside and outside the supermarket, documenting the events leading up to the assault.

The criminal case is being pursued under Articles 225 and 126 of Georgia’s Criminal Code - organizing group violence and violence - which together carry a penalty of up to nine years in prison.

Giorgobiani attracted public attention the previous day when local media circulated her strongly worded social media post criticising Geladze over stopping her brother in the street, who was allegedly taking a medicine to her.