Vato Shakarashvili, one of the leaders of the United Neutral Georgia movement, affiliated with the ruling Georgian Dream party, has publicly admitted to physically assaulting Mtavari Arkhi journalist Giorgi Mamniashvili in central Tbilisi on April 5.
In a social media post, Shakarashvili claimed the journalist confronted him outside Kashueti church, allegedly shouting “slave” while holding a phone. “He got what he deserved… let it be a lesson to all—don’t dare act like this again!” Shakarashvili wrote, justifying the assault as a reaction to provocation. “We never attack first. In fact, we tolerate too much. You should know that we will always react to insults.”
Mamniashvili says he called Vato Shakarashvili a “slave” because it was him who had requested the freezing of bank accounts belonging to foundations that were helping participants of pro-European protests and other socially vulnerable people on March 17.
“I happened to see Vato Shakarashvili and Goga Khaindrava — I turned on my camera and told him he was a slave because of his actions, referring to the freezing of the funds. That’s when he resorted to physical violence — he kicked me several times and slapped me in the face five or six times. As soon as the police saw what was happening, they came over. If they hadn’t been there, I don’t know what could’ve happened,” Mamniashvili said.
The journalist recorded the assault on his mobile phone. He noted that while officers removed Shakarashvili and Khaindrava from the scene, they were not detained.
