On June 26 the Georgian Dream leaders Bidzina Ivanishvili and Irakli Alasania were expected in Dirbi village (Kareli district) from Mereti village, but government supporters who arrived in Dirbi from Kareli and different villages started brawls with the local opposition leaders, they also insulted the film crew of Info 9. The government supporters were constantly verbally abusing journalist Eka Beruashvili and cameraman Badri Mekhrishvili and asking them to stop shooting. They hit the cameras a few times, the locals were saying the brawls were started by unidentified persons from other places.

Due to the confrontation in Dirbi, the Georgian Dream leaders refrained from going to that village. It should be noted that there were more than 7 instances of insulting and hindering the journalists in the Shida Kartli region, these instances were filmed, but the law enforcement bodies are not in a hurry to investigate them.

People started to recall the confrontations that took place in Gori 9 years ago, when then oppositional National Movement members and their leader Irakli Okruashvili were met by Citizens’ Union activists and boxers in front of Gori Theater. During that confrontation and fistfight journalists were the ones who suffered the most.

Journalists were hindered on June 26 in Mereti village as well. The confrontation took place between Bidzina Ivanishvili and government supporters. Ministry of Interior detained 4 persons who took part in the fistfight. Court sentenced these persons to 10 days of administrative imprisonment for verbal abuse and participation in physical confrontation. Ministry of Interior denied the reports according to which Ministry of Interior’s employees took part in the Mereti indicent.

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