“Don’t be surprised that I’m laughing. Google this hotel and see what it looks like. What could you possibly pour from there that would travel over two roofs and land on the equipment?” Lali Aptsiauri, the lawyer for a Russian woman involved in an incident at a hotel in Telavi, told InterpressNews.

She made the statement in response to a question about whether the Russian citizens had damaged equipment or poured liquid onto it.

Asked whether the Russian citizens had engaged in provocative behavior or verbally insulted anyone, she said that if such an incident had taken place, then “at a 120-person wedding, surely someone must have had even a Nokia with a flashlight to record it.”

“The Ukrainians are Russian citizens. One of the injured parties is also a Turkish citizen. Of course, they were questioned, gave statements and described what happened. I will keep it brief because both I and these girls have signed confidentiality agreements,” Aptsiauri said.

Asked whether she ruled out the possibility that criminal proceedings could soon be launched against her client, given that detainee Giorgi Chighladze has injuries to his neck, the lawyer said that no such issue had been raised at this stage.

“I am a lawyer and cannot rule anything out in advance, but at this stage we have not discussed this with the investigative authorities. First of all, it must be established who injured [the detainee], because in the footage that has been released, it is not visible that this girl touched him in the neck area. He says, ‘She was choking me.’ This girl weighs 60 kilograms, and I cannot tell you where the bear’s hands came from on his neck. Let an investigation begin, if there is going to be one. That is not a problem either,” Aptsiauri said.

Regarding video footage in which wedding guests urge the Russian citizens to behave properly, the lawyer said that the footage did not show who had started the incident.

“I can stand in front of a building and make as many demands as I want, and you will not be able to count them. Why and with whom did all of this begin? Why don't they have that [footage]? And what do these girls have to say? She stood downstairs and held a rally, waving her hands. Why? What was the reason? We need to know,” the lawyer said.

Asked again whether the Russian citizens had damaged equipment or poured liquid from the balcony, she responded:

“Don’t be surprised that I’m laughing. Google this hotel and see what it looks like. What could you pour from there that would travel over two roofs and land on the equipment? Look at the picture and you will understand. The only injured person is my client. Look at the picture — you can clearly see the balcony where these girls were standing and where the incident took place. There is footage of people below insulting them, arguing with them and addressing them with obscene language,” Aptsiauri said.

Asked why the Russian citizens had been insulted if such footage existed, the lawyer said that the wedding guests had objected to them opening champagne.

“They came to celebrate a birthday, opened champagne on the balcony, and that was followed by everything else. They categorically deny any provocative actions, especially the claims that they were spitting or pouring water. By the way, it was raining at the time,” the lawyer said.

Asked whether the rain had wet the equipment, Aptsiauri said she did not know.

“I don’t know. I am telling you what I have been informed. Was the equipment damaged? Did an expert examination conclude that it was damaged? They should ask the owner of the equipment, who said, ‘It is working now, but it may break down in three days,’” she said.

Asked whether police had been called to the scene, as the hotel claims that police were contacted before the physical confrontation began, the lawyer said she had not yet clarified the issue because she arrived late.

Asked whether the Russian citizens had been prohibited from leaving Georgia, the lawyer said they had been warned not to leave the country for several days.

“They have been warned that they should not leave the country for several days, and they are not leaving. Every person must answer for their own crime. If my client or any other foreign national commits a crime, everyone must be held accountable,” Aptsiauri said.

The incident in Telavi resulted in the arrest of Giorgi Chighladze. Criminal proceedings were launched against him under Article 120 of the Criminal Code, which concerns intentional minor injury and carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.

According to available information, during a wedding at a hotel in Telavi, foreign nationals staying at the hotel allegedly insulted wedding guests from the balcony of their room and poured water onto the equipment, after which the accused physically injured a foreign woman. The woman was taken to a clinic for medical assistance.

Administrative proceedings have also been launched against singer Aleksandre Mrelashvili. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mrelashvili was questioned as a witness in connection with the wedding incident at a police station, where he allegedly refused to remain for an extended period, verbally insulted police officers and damaged a locker for personal belongings.