TBILISI, September 20 – Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has confirmed the release of a teenager who was arrested during a rally in Tbilisi on September 15 for allegedly displaying a gun.
The ministry said forensic experts determined that the object seized was not a real firearm.
Police had initially reported that a person born in 2009 was detained on charges of illegal possession and carrying of a firearm and ammunition after showing what looked like a pistol near demonstrators.
According to the ministry’s earlier statement, about 30 activists marching from the Georgian Public Broadcaster building clashed verbally with several citizens at the intersection of Rustaveli Avenue and Besiki Street. One individual displayed a pistol, prompting two protesters to chase him. The suspect then entered a nearby café, where activists restrained him and confiscated the weapon, which at first glance appeared to be a pneumatic pistol. Both the teenager and the seized object were handed over to patrol police.
Authorities had noted that, if confirmed as a real firearm, the offense could have carried up to seven years in prison. Authorities will not pursue those charges, in light of the new findings.
