Georgian Prosecutor’s Office releases video evidence of opposition leader Aleksandre Elisashvili’s attempted terrorist act at Tbilisi City Court

The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has filed charges against Aleksandre Elisashvili, one of the leaders of the opposition Lelo party, for an attempted act of terrorism in the Tbilisi City Court.

According to the joint investigation conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, it was established that on Saturday, at approximately 04:00, Aleksandre Elisashvili, masked and armed with a firearm, ammunition, and items necessary for carrying out a terrorist act, approached the building of the Tbilisi City Court, smashed the exterior window of the Court’s office with a hammer, and and unlawfully entered the building.

Once inside, Elisashvili poured a large amount of flammable liquid throughout various areas of the building, including on objects and documents, and attempted to ignite a fire..

During this process, security officers confronted him. Upon seeing one of the officers, Elisashvili attacked and began assaulting him. As three officers attempted to restrain him, they worked to prevent him from igniting the flammable substance and to disarm him. Investigators say Elisashvili repeatedly tried to draw and use his firearm. He resisted for approximately 5-6 minutes before officers were finally able to subdue and arrest him.

Elisashvili has been charged under Article 19-323, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Georgia - attempted commission of a terrorist act - a crime punishable by 10 to 15 years of imprisonment. The Prosecutor’s Office has already submitted a motion to the court requesting pre-trial detention as a preventive measure.