Mass protests in Georgia over the murder of schoolchildren: people demand the prime minister’s resignation

In Georgia, on May 31, mass protests began after two 16-year-olds were killed in Tbilisi, and the court found guilty of murdering only one of the suspects, passing a soft sentence to the second.

Screenshot from video

Protesters demand to punish those responsible for the murder of schoolchildren, and also insist on the resignation of the country's prime minister, writes Currently,.

People gathered near the prosecutor's office to support the father of one of the dead teenagers, Zazu Saralidze.

“This system must be destroyed! I won’t let them spit on my soul,” shouted Zaza Saralidze in front of the prosecutor’s office building, while the crowd chanted: “Murderers!” By evening, the entire area in front of the building and the roadway were already filled with people.

After the protests, Georgian prosecutor Irakli Shotadze resigned.

“I have been and remain close to you - as the country’s chief prosecutor and as a father. I don’t need a position or anything else at the cost of the lives of your children. I want you to know that I did everything to ensure that those responsible were punished. “I believe that this step of mine (resignation) will convince you that the dirty accusations that were made against me were political reprisals for the fact that we forced many former officials to answer before the law,” he said.

In a statement that was published on the website of the department, Shotadze said that those responsible for the killing of minors would be punished, and also promised to conduct an examination in Switzerland and to involve in the case of international prosecutors.

But the resignation of the prosecutor did not stop the protesters. On the evening of May 31, they headed for the parliament building, there were demands for the resignation of the Prime Minister.

Giorgi Kvirikashvili tried to address the protesters, but his appearance near the parliament building was greeted with shouts of “Go away!” and whistling. After plastic bottles were thrown at him and the crowd, the prime minister left the rally.

By the morning of June 2, the demonstrators took a break in their action, but promised to gather again on Saturday evening, writes Radio Liberty.

According to demonstration leader Zaza Saralidze, its participants will not give up on the demand to create a new government of Georgia, despite the fact that President Giorgi Margvelashvili and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili are trying to resolve another demand of the demonstrators - reform of the judicial system.

Pupils of the 51 school in Tbilisi 16-year-olds David Saralidze and Levan Dadunashvili died during a group disassembly in the center of Tbilisi in December 2017.

Dadunashvili died of knife injuries on the spot. Saralidze - on the second day in the hospital.

According to investigators, there was a dispute between a group of teenagers, first within the walls of the school. In a fight the conflict escalated already on the street. One of the schoolchildren was stabbed with more than 10.

Two minors turned out to be suspects. The prosecutor's office accused both of Saralidze's group murder, and of one of them - of Dadunashvili’s murder.

On May 31, a Tbilisi court found one of the suspects guilty of the deliberate murder of Dadunashvili. The court re-qualified the guilty party to the second defendant in this case, finding him guilty not of murder, but of an attempted premeditated murder. Both were found not guilty of the group murder of David Saralidze.

The verdict provoked the indignation of the father of one of the dead teenagers, Zaza Saralidze. In his opinion, the prosecutor’s office conducted the investigation biased. According to his version, at least four people were injured by his son. This decision, Saralidze believes, confirms that the murderer and other persons involved in the case remain at large. He is confident that the prosecutor’s office covers them, including the former prosecutor’s office worker Mirza Subeliani, the father of one of the schoolchildren, who, according to the prosecutor’s office, is being investigated as a witness.

The family of Levan Dadunashvili, according to the lawyer, has no complaints about the verdict of the court regarding the murder of Dadunashvili.

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