I need to see the special forces officer who has been arrested in my case, but his physical description does not match the person seen in the video, - journalist Guram Rogava stated regarding the special forces officer detained for the violence committed against him during a protest.

According to him, the person who was mentioned in the journalistic investigation and whose details were provided to the investigative authorities has not been questioned.

“I came here to see with my own eyes how roles have been distributed in this theater of the absurd. I need to see the special forces officer who has been detained in my case, but his physical description does not match the data visible in the video. That’s why I want to see him in person and make visual contact.

I came here with George Orwell’s book - ‘Animal Farm’. Bidzina Ivanishvili’s favorite writer, and he wants to govern the country according to this political model. He thinks he has loyal dogs and puppies in the system and institutions, but the system is not as monolithic as it appears from the outside. There is no such unity. This is confirmed by the investigation [journalistic investigation] that will air today on ‘Formula’. According to this information, they stitched my case together so that a perpetrator would formally be identified. The person who was identified as a result of ‘Formula’s’ journalistic investigation has not been questioned.

This is the first time I will see the accused. This is the first time I am attending the trial. How do I feel? First of all, I have a journalistic interest - to see who he is and whether his appearance matches the person in the video. According to my information, the attacker is a completely different person, and that person was not even summoned for questioning. Even though Eliso [journalist Eliso Jariashvili] and I provided his details to the Prosecutor’s Office during questioning - we gave his name, surname, home address, and the unit he serves in. More than a month and a half has passed, and they still haven’t summoned him. This raises questions for me that something big is happening behind this case, and someone has taken responsibility for something they didn’t do - and why?” Guram Rogava stated.

For information: The Prosecutor’s Office has detained five individuals in connection with the violence committed against protester Zviad Maisashvili, politician Levan Khabeishvili, and journalist Guram Rogava during the 2024 protests. Among them are three former and one active special forces officer, as well as one current employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Department of Police Protection.

Two special forces officers are already in custody in connection with other ongoing criminal investigations.

All five detainees have been charged under Article 333, Part 3 (b) of the Criminal Code of Georgia (exceeding official powers using violence). The person detained in connection with the Rogava episode has additionally been charged under Article 154, Part 2 (unlawful interference with a journalist’s professional activities using violence). The charges carry a sentence of 5 to 8 years of imprisonment.

The case of Levan Khabeishvili is being investigated as a separate proceeding.