“Aleko Elisashvili’s only regret is that he was just a few seconds short of seeing his act through to completion,” his lawyer, Giorgi Rekhviashvili, has stated.

According to Rekhviashvili, this was a conscious form of protest, and Elisashvili acted alone.

“Ten hours after his arrest, I was allowed to meet him at Dighomi detention facility. There are severe injuries visible on his face; he has been brutally beaten. I am now making a statement on behalf of Aleko Elisashvili. His action was a deliberate act of protest. He was protesting against an unjust court: ‘Fire to the oligarchy and fire to the unjust court,’ these are the words he conveyed to me. His only regret is that he was a few seconds short of seeing his intention come to fruition. This was a calculated act of protest. Notably, he chose a Saturday morning for this purpose, to minimise the risk of harm. He aimed to demonstrate to the public how many individuals are unlawfully and unjustly sentenced by the courts, and how the authorities utilise the judiciary to entrench their regime and dictatorship. This is Aleko Elisashvili’s statement,” said Giorgi Rekhviashvili.

The lawyer added that Elisashvili had no intention of using a weapon.

“The investigation claims he entered, threatening someone with a weapon. In reality, the weapon was holstered, covered by a hoodie and jacket, and he did not attempt to use it. The footage where the weapon is visible is after his arrest; it fell out during the scuffle, indicating there was neither an attempt nor an intention to use it. After he entered, three bailiffs and police officers arrived. Everything was deliberate; he acted alone. This was his personal decision to employ this form of protest,” explained Rekhviashvili.

When asked whether his defendant admits guilt, the lawyer responded that he does not, as he has not yet seen the charges.

“We know there is some article, but we have not received the official indictment nor seen the document. The charges will be presented tomorrow, after which we will be able to provide further details. We have not yet seen the formal charges. We need to review them; there is mention of matters relating to a weapon and threats; naturally, he does not admit to these allegations. He admits only to entering the building as a form of protest,” the lawyer stated.

When journalists asked whether Aleko Elisashvili struck a bailiff, Rekhviashvili denied this, asserting, “That is a lie; he did not strike a bailiff.”

For the record, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) stated earlier that Aleko Elisashvili, one of the leaders of the Lelo-Strong Georgia coalition, was arrested after attempting to set fire to the Tbilisi City Court registry building at dawn today.