“There was some kind of verbal altercation, and the defendants assaulted the victim. The person experienced pain when they were struck in the face. All of this happened at a restaurant,” Prosecutor Vakhtang Kharebashvili said while commenting on the case involving Vato Kipiani, Avtandil Bilanishvili, also known as “Katsro,” and Shota Kipiani.

According to the prosecutor, the investigation was launched following an appeal and a report from the victim.

“A group of individuals committed a violent crime that carries a penalty of imprisonment. When the court granted the motion, it presumably took into account their personal characteristics and previous criminal convictions and assessed the circumstances as a whole, concluding that only detention could neutralise the threat posed by them.

“There was some kind of verbal altercation, and the defendants assaulted the victim. The person experienced pain when they were struck in the face. All of this happened at a restaurant. The police launched an investigation based on the victim’s appeal and a report. The victim contacted us the following day,” the prosecutor said.

For context, Vato Kipiani, Avtandil Bilanishvili, also known as “Katsro,” and Shota Kipiani, described as criminal authorities, have been remanded in custody as a preventive measure.

Vato Kipiani, Avtandil Bilanishvili, and Shota Kipiani are accused of group violence. More specifically, they were arrested in connection with a physical altercation that took place at a restaurant in Tbilisi on October 14, during which they allegedly physically assaulted the victim.

The defendants have been charged under Article 126, Part 1¹, Subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia (violence committed by a group), which carries a penalty of up to two years of imprisonment.