“When you went to Tornike Goshadze’s house, why was it necessary to wear a GWP uniform instead of a police uniform?” asked Nina Lominadze, the lawyer of Tornike Goshadze, who is detained on charges of participating in group violence, addressing investigator Levan Abesadze.

In response to the lawyer’s question, Abesadze stated that he was dressed in a police uniform, presented the court order to the defendant, and explained his rights.

“Did I go with a court order and wear a GWP uniform?” he countered to the lawyer.

Lominadze asked him what items were seized during the search of Goshadze’s house.

“Clothing, shoes he was wearing during the rally, and a flag,” the investigator stated.

The lawyer asked why the flag was seized and whether he considered it to be illegal.

“The flag is not an illegal item; it could potentially carry information of interest to the investigative body, just like the clothing. These were seized to confirm whether Tornike Goshadze was indeed present at the rally,” the investigator stated.

Tornike Goshadze himself also posed questions to the investigator. He asked why Abesadze had lied by saying he was from the water utility company and not the police, to which Abesadze responded that he “never said such a thing.”

“Was everyone holding a flag at the rally?” Goshadze asked again, to which the investigator provided a detailed response.

“A specific type of clothing was characteristic of those particular rallies. The rally was related to integration with the European Union, and the majority of participants used various flag - Georgian, EU, and Ukrainian flags. This flag could serve as evidence confirming your presence at the rally,” Abesadze replied to Goshadze, who then asked another question.

“Don’t you now, just like at the precinct, have the desire to punch me in the face?” Goshadze asked the investigator, to which Abesadze responded that “he had no such desire then, nor does he have it now.”

For reference, of the eight detained individuals, three - Zviad Tsetskhladze, Vepkhia Kasradze, and Vasil Kadzelashvili - are accused of organizing and leading group violence, facing 6 to 9 years of imprisonment.

Five of the defendants - Giorgi Gorgadze, Irakli Miminoshvili, Insaf Aliyev, Tornike Goshadze, and Nikoloz Javakhishvili - are accused of participating in group violence, facing 4 to 6 years of imprisonment.