Three nightclubs closed in Tbilisi for violating anti-covid restrictions

With the support of law enforcers, local authorities have sealed up the popular nightclubs "Bassiani", "Khidi" and "Mtkvarze" in Tbilisi for violating the anti-covid restrictions. The club owners and their supporters tried to hamper the officials' actions, which led to clashes with policemen.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 23, nightclub owners held a protest action in Tbilisi, at which they asked for authorities' permits to open their establishments. According to protesters, due to a long ban on their work, nightclubs have problems with paying off the loans, while the nightclub industry itself in Georgia is under the threat of extinction.

In the evening on December 24, law enforcers cordoned off the building of the popular "Bassiani" nightclub in Tbilisi, and the club was sealed up. Its employees and their supporters tried to interfere with law enforcers, as a result of which a clash broke out, the "Rustavi-2" TV Company reported on its website in the evening on December 24.

Nadji Orashvili, the club owner, has treated the authorities' actions as unjustified, the Georgian Channel One has reported. Ms Orashvili also said that other clubs were closed in Tbilisi, but she did not specify which ones. "At the moment, they seal up 'Bassiani', and, if I'm not mistaken, almost all the Tbilisi nightclubs. Their goal is quite clear – to liquidate us all," the "Sputnik Georgia" quoted Nadji Orashvili as saying on December 24.

Apart from "Bassiani", on December 24, the nightclubs "Khidi" and "Mtkvarze" were also sealed up in Tbilisi, the "Echo of the Caucasus"* has reported.

*A fragment of a message is presented created and spread by a foreign media performing the functions of a foreign agent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 25, 2021 at 10:15 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.