Man Charged in Telavi Wedding Case Says He Did Not Intend to Injure Russian Tourist
By Messenger Staff
Tuesday, July 21, 2026
A man detained over an incident at a wedding in Telavi says he regrets that a Russian woman was injured but insists he did not intend to harm her.
The incident took place at a hotel in Telavi, where, according to Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, witnesses said Russian citizens staying at the hotel insulted wedding guests from a balcony and poured liquid onto the wedding sound equipment. Investigators say the confrontation escalated, and Giorgi Chighladze allegedly assaulted a Russian woman, who was taken to a clinic for medical treatment.
The circumstances leading up to the assault remain disputed, with wedding guests, the injured woman and their respective lawyers offering differing accounts of how the confrontation unfolded.
Chighladze was detained and charged under Article 120 of Georgia's Criminal Code, which concerns the intentional infliction of minor bodily injury. The offense is punishable by up to three years in prison.
In a letter released by his lawyer, Mariam Durglishvili, Chighladze apologized for the woman's injury but denied intending to cause it.
"I am sorry that this woman was injured, but I did not intend this. Any person can pay a high price even for an unintentional act committed during a conflict," Chighladze wrote.
Writing from the Gurjaani Pre-Trial Detention Facility, Chighladze thanked those supporting him and said he would continue to fight the case.
"I will fight and defend our dignity to the very end," he said. He also urged people not to react to provocations.
"I ask and urge everyone: try not to fall for provocations and do not act in a moment of anger caused by an insult," he wrote.
The case has also led to administrative proceedings against singer Aleksandre Mrelashvili.
The Interior Ministry said Mrelashvili was being questioned as a witness when he refused to remain at a police station, verbally insulted officers, and damaged a locker used to store personal belongings.
Mrelashvili denied the allegations in a video statement.
"There was no violence, neither on my part nor on the part of the police, and there were no verbal insults," he said, adding that false information about the incident had been circulating on social media.
The incident has also prompted comments from Mamuka Mamulashvili, commander of the Georgian Legion in Ukraine. He said reports circulating in Ukraine suggest one of the Russian tourists involved could potentially be wanted by Ukrainian authorities and may have collaborated with Russia, although he acknowledged there is no confirmed information to support that claim.
He also alleged that Russian tourists collect information for Russian intelligence services and said Georgian authorities should do more to respond to such incidents.
