Stand-up comedian and civic activist Onise Okriashvili, an active participant in Georgia’s pro-European protests, was physically assaulted by unidentified individuals near his home in Tbilisi’s Vake district on the evening of July 22.
Okriashvili’s wife, Mariam Samushia, told journalists that the comedian’s clothes had been torn, his hand was bleeding, his neck was red, and he had suffered a blow to the head. Onise Okriashvili was examined at a clinic and left later that evening.
A video recorded by an eyewitness appears to capture one of the alleged attackers accusing Okriashvili of insulting celebrated Georgian writer Nodar Dumbadze before assaulting him.
“Then the police came and I heard, together with the police, that these three guys had stopped him on the street, saying, ‘You’re the one who insulted Nodar Dumbadze,’ and they started beating him,” Samushia said of her husband.
The attack follows several days of negative coverage of Okriashvili by pro-government media outlets.
On July 19, Okriashvili said the video did not contain direct insults, explaining that he was speaking hypothetically and addressing what he described as “the most absurd thing that comes to mind at that moment” to Nodar Dumbadze. He added that the clip had been taken from one of his stand-up performances.
Samushia said her husband intended to sue what she described as “propaganda channels,” alleging they had spread defamatory information.
“Slander was spread across all the propaganda media, and today a person was beaten. This is artificially incited hatred between people,” she alleged.
The assault prompted expressions of solidarity from protesters and public figures, many of whom alleged that Okriashvili had been targeted following a smear campaign.
Nodar Topuridze, the grandson of Nodar Dumbadze, condemned the attack.
“Beating someone in the name of my grandfather must be the work of either a provocateur or an idiot. This is my comment,” he said.
Ketevan Dumbadze, the writer’s daughter and Director of the Writers’ Union, also commented on the incident.
“I am very saddened and distressed,” she told Netgazeti.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs says it has launched an investigation under Article 126 of the Criminal Code, which covers violence.
Later, the Ministry announced that the alleged attacker had reported to the Vake-Saburtalo Police Department.
“The attacker of Onise Okriashvili has reported to the Vake-Saburtalo Police Department. He is currently being questioned in connection with the criminal act, alongside other investigative actions,” the Ministry said. It added that the investigation is ongoing and that further information will be released.
Article 126 carries penalties including a fine, community service, house arrest, or up to one year in prison.
