Lawyer says man arrested over Telavi hotel incident was victim of provocation

Lasha Kapanadze, the lawyer representing the man arrested in connection with the incident at a hotel in Telavi, has shared details of the case on social media.

According to Kapanadze, his client, Giorgi Chighladze, was the victim of a provocation by Russian nationals and was assaulted during the incident.

The lawyer also said the defense has requested that Chighladze undergo a forensic medical examination to document his injuries.

According to attorney, the incident took place during a wedding celebration at Hotel Agarani in the village of Ruispiri on July 18.

“The Russian-speaking guests staying on the hotel’s third floor shouted “Gorko” (“Kiss!”) toward the bride and groom. After wedding guests ignored them, they began pouring liquids and spitting from the balcony onto the wedding party, damaging the sound equipment and interrupting the music.

The hotel guests insulted those attending the wedding, referred to Georgia as a country of Papuans, and used offensive language. Although hotel management promised to address the situation, the behavior continued, prompting Chighladze to go upstairs to speak with the guests.

Chighladze asked one of the women to stop the disruptive behavior. The woman demanded that he speak Russian, while Chighladze replied that she was in Georgia and should either speak Georgian or continue the conversation in English.

The woman then grabbed Chighladze by the throat and injured him. The verbal confrontation escalated and the woman later struck Chighladze twice in the chest, after which Chighladze pushed her away with his elbow in self-defense, causing her to fall.

Chighladze subsequently left the hotel room to prevent the confrontation from escalating further,” wrote the lawyer on the social network.

Kapanadze also said emergency medical personnel documented injuries to Chighladze’s neck and that the defense has requested a forensic medical examination.

According to the lawyer, Chighladze was initially questioned as a witness before being detained on July 19. He is currently being held in the Gurjaani temporary detention facility, while the investigation continues under Article 120 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which concerns intentional minor bodily injury.

Earlier, Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said police arrested one person after a female foreign national was injured during the incident. According to the ministry, witnesses stated that foreign nationals staying at the hotel had insulted wedding guests and poured water onto the event’s audio equipment before the suspect assaulted the woman. The investigation is ongoing under Article 120 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of up to three years’ imprisonment.