Aleksandra, a Belarusian fitness trainer from Minsk, was beaten at a railway station in Tbilisi, Georgia, after a stranger heard her speaking in Russian.
The attack was reported by the Telegram channel Baza, which stated that local police questioned the suspect before transferring the criminal case to court.
Aleksandra said the unidentified man attacked her after overhearing her speak Russian while talking with a female friend. She quickly summoned the police, who arrived at the scene, took the man into custody, and brought both parties in for questioning.
At the station, the man began shouting loudly to justify his behavior, claiming he acted aggressively because the tourist had rudely rejected his attempt to get acquainted. Aleksandra firmly rejected his claim, insisting the physical assault was provoked entirely by the language she was speaking.
Officers carried out an initial investigation into the altercation and formally referred the case to court. Investigators decided not to detain the Belarusian tourists or restrict their travel within the country while the legal process moves forward.
Rising Violence Against Russian Speakers
The incident reflects a broader pattern of hostility, with attacks on Russian-speaking tourists becoming more common in Georgia over recent months. In a similar case in July, an assailant broke into a hotel room shared by two Russian women in Kakheti and severely beat one of them.
Georgia, an ancient crossroads located in the South Caucasus between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, has long been a popular destination for holidaymakers from across Eastern Europe. Tbilisi, the national capital, is the country's primary transport center, anchored by its busy central railway station.
Russian remains a common lingua franca across many former Soviet states, where citizens of countries such as Belarus frequently travel for leisure. Minsk is the Belarusian capital, while Kakheti, situated in eastern Georgia, is a major rural province celebrated for its vineyards and historic monasteries.
Following the completion of the police inquiry and the referral of the case, the suspect will face trial in court as authorities proceed with the prosecution.
