A shot was fired in the direction of GSPSA’s chairman, Teimuraz Tsikoridze
On January 12, 2024, at 4:30 p.m., in the territory of "Richi" animal village (Mtskheta, village Tsilkani), when the chairman of GSPSA, Teimuraz Tsikoridze, was driving the organization’s car, a shot was fired in his direction.
The fired bullet hit the frame part of the car (the structure separating the front and side windows) and got stuck in the metal. If no there was not this metal structure, the bullet would have hit the driver in the head. The bullet damaged the frame of the car and the front windshield.
The fired bullet struck the frame of the car (the part that separates the front and side windows) and became lodged in the metal. If this metal structure had not been present, the bullet would have hit the driver in the head. The bullet caused damage to both the frame of the car and the front windshield.
The people and animals in the animal village were not injured by the gunfire.
The chairman of the organization promptly inspected the surrounding area in the direction of the shooting but found no one. It was suspected that the shooting was carried out from about 200-300 meters from the territory of the animal village, where there are several buildings.
The patrol police were called. The officers of the patrol police promptly tracked down and arrested the suspect in the shooting.
At this stage, the organization is not providing any additional details regarding the shooting, as the investigation is still ongoing.
The suspect was released from the police station on the same day for reasons unknown to us.
The shooting in the direction of Teimuraz Tsikoridze was either done negligently (violation of weapon storage rules, shooting without proper direction, accidental shooting, etc.) or intentionally with the aim to kill. The investigation should provide answers regarding this matter.
GSPSA believes that if there was a specific attempt to kill the chairman of the organization, it could only be related to animal protection activities.
GSPSA urges the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Chief Prosecutor's Office, and the relevant agencies to conduct a thorough assessment of the mentioned incident. We request a prompt and impartial investigation and the appropriate legal action against the perpetrator.