Georgian police have detained 16 individuals across the country on charges of membership in a radical fascist (neo-Nazi) group, including 10 minors, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) announced.
The announcement was made at a briefing by Vazha Siradze, Director of the Tbilisi Police Department.
Siradze claimed that the detainees physically and psychologically abused people of various ages. The group openly identified itself as neo-Nazi and operated under a fascist ideology.
“In order to expand their influence and gain notoriety, the members of the violent group demonstrated radical hostility toward their victims. They acted with particular cruelty against those who did not share their ideology,” Siradze said.
He added that videos documenting the acts of violence were circulated on social media. More than 10 people have been identified as victims, including four minors.
The investigation is being conducted under Article 144¹ (Prime) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, Part Two, Subparagraph “z,” and Part Three, Subparagraph “b.” Under Georgian law, inhumane treatment committed by a group against a minor is punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Siradze also noted that two leaders of radical fascist groups in Georgia — Levan Abesadze and Davit Japarov — are already serving prison sentences on similar charges.
“Along with them, seven additional members of these groups have also been detained. The investigation established that other followers of the same ideology continued violent actions, which has been confirmed by evidence obtained during the ongoing investigation,” Siradze said.
Video: TV Pirveli
Image: Radio Liberty
