The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (MIA) has issued a statement addressing recent misinformation. As outlined in the statement, the Ministry responds to claims circulating in certain media outlets suggesting that law enforcement officers physically assaulted a young man in the city of Gori.

“On January 3, 2026, officers from the Gori District Division of the Shida Kartli Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained a citizen born in 2000, who was intoxicated, behaving aggressively, and damaging a vehicle belonging to another individual.

During the arrest, his companion, Luka Topchishvili, born in 2005, who is convicted and currently under probation, obstructed law enforcement officers in the execution of their duties and physically assaulted police personnel.

Specifically, he punched an officer in the face, then attempted to evade arrest and assaulted another officer who was pursuing him. Law enforcement officers detained him for resisting arrest and assaulting officers, in accordance with Article 353 of the Criminal Code.

The reports claiming that police officers allegedly physically assaulted a young man are false and represent deliberate disinformation aimed at unjustly discrediting the police and their personnel.

Regrettably, amidst our ongoing efforts to combat crime more effectively, some media outlets have increasingly accused law enforcement officers of outright lies. The Ministry of Internal Affairs will not tolerate such attempts to tarnish the reputation of police officers. We are committed to providing the public with transparent, detailed information on all such incidents and will expose those spreading disinformation,” the statement concludes.