The head of the Chokhatauri Municipal Council in Georgia’s western Guria region, Davit Sharashidze, has been detained on charges of group violence against a police officer.
The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday at a restaurant in the Gurian town of Ozurgeti.
According to the Interior Ministry, the incident was preceded by a verbal altercation, after which Sharashidze and two other individuals accompanying him assaulted a police officer.
The ministry said the officer sustained injuries to his face and various parts of the body, adding that he was off-duty at the time of the incident.
While Sharashidze was detained, the ministry said his two companions remained at large. It added that the injured police officer has been suspended pending the completion of the investigation.
A member of the ruling Georgian Dream party, Sharashidze became chair of the Chokhatauri Municipal Council after the 2025 local elections, boycotted by many opposition parties. He previously served as mayor of Chokhatauri.
The incident is being investigated as an act of group violence, punishable with a fine, community service, or up to two years of imprisonment.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
