Ex-riot police officer Shaishmelashvili reveals threats he received after resignation

Irakli Shaishmelashvili, a former senior official in the Special Tasks Department who resigned on 4 December following the government crackdown on street demonstrations told the opposition aligned media outlet TV Pirveli that he had a physical confrontation with one of the deputies of Zviad (Khareba) Kharazishvili, the head of the department.

Shaishmelashvili said he received threats towards his family members, including his minor children, after he announced that he was leaving.

‘On the last day, when I was going to leave, I had handed over everything, my room was empty, my car, my keys, I handed over my ID card, I was going to leave calmly, but they didn’t let me do that’, he said.

‘At that time, one of the deputies of Khareba came in and tried to provoke me. [Kharazishvili] has two deputies — my deputy curator, Milleri Lagazauri, the second deputy is Mirza Kezevadze. I had a conversation with Milleri, I explained, then Mirza came in, [and] I had a conflict with Mirza’.

‘Mirza told Milleri that he “lied to you”. When I told him that yes, I was leaving because of [the ongoing protests and police crackdown], when young people the same age as our children are being beaten on the street and I am a participant in all this, I simply don’t want to work here anymore’.

‘Kezevadze called me a traitor, (there was physical retribution), I fought with him, he insulted me’, Shaishmelashvili said.