Georgian Protests for EU Membership Continue Amidst Arrests and Allegations of Police Violence

Over 300 individuals have been apprehended in Georgia since widespread protests commenced six nights prior, with a growing number of reports detailing violent assaults by law enforcement. A 28-year-old businessman, Avandtil Kuchava, recounted to the BBC being repeatedly kicked in the head, even after losing consciousness. He stated, “When I opened my eyes a third time I couldn’t feel my legs or hands – I couldn’t even move my head.” Protests have persisted nightly since last Thursday, following the declaration by the ruling Georgian Dream party that it was suspending the nation’s efforts to initiate discussions on European Union accession. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has attributed the violence and resulting injuries to opposition politicians, accusing them of orchestration. Conversely, Georgia’s human rights ombudsman has characterized the police’s use of force as torture and brutality, a stance echoed by United Nations rights chief Volker Türk, who expressed that the application of “unnecessary or disproportionate force… is extremely worrying.” The US embassy in Tbilisi issued a direct caution on social media to Prime Minister Kobakhidze’s Georgian Dream government, stating, “Don’t blame others.” The embassy recalled for Georgians that the ruling party was responsible for halting the EU process, which subsequently led to the loss of their strategic partnership with the US two days afterward. The Georgian Dream party, having governed for 12 years, has implemented progressively authoritarian legislation concerning civil society, freedom of speech, and LGBT rights. For six consecutive nights, tens of thousands of Georgians have demonstrated, alleging that the government is attempting to undermine their European trajectory and reintegrate them into Russia’s sphere of influence. In response, riot police, equipped with body armour, have endeavored to disperse them using tear gas and water cannon. Footage depicting protesters confronting police has achieved widespread circulation online. One instance shows a woman holding a Georgian flag as she withstood a blast from a water cannon, while another individual advanced directly into a police barricade formed by officers behind riot shields. A young woman defiantly exclaimed, “You garbage people! I’m tired, so what do you want? Are you afraid of me?” before being forcibly moved through the barricade and apprehended. The woman has since been identified as Nana Tomaradze, and a judge has imposed a fine equivalent to £720 (€870) on her. Her lawyer, Lasha Tkesheladze, commented that this amount represents two months’ wages in Georgia, adding, “She has an 11-year-old son.” A separate video captures an elderly woman walking alongside a formation of helmeted riot police, reproaching them for creating division among Georgians and for safeguarding politicians residing in their palaces. The severity of the police’s reaction, however, has led to comparisons with autocratic regimes, particularly Russia and Belarus, with government critics asserting that authorities are employing tactics reminiscent of a Russian playbook. Other viral videos from the scene depict more disturbing incidents. One shows a middle-aged man in an orange jacket being struck and forced to the ground while attempting to navigate through a substantial group of stationary riot police. In another, a young man lying prone on the ground is repeatedly kicked in the head as a young woman implores the officers to cease. Avtandil Kuchava experienced a comparable ordeal at the hands of police officers dressed in unmarked black attire, and after spending two days in the hospital, he is now recuperating at home. He recounted, “There were four people at the beginning, but after I was knocked out I didn’t know how many were beating me. When I opened my eyes someone’s foot was coming towards my face and I blacked out a second time.” He continued, “After I opened my eyes the third time, someone broke my collarbone with his hand. Then I blacked out, and the next time I came round I was being taken to the police station in a car.” The BBC has contacted Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs for a statement but has not yet received a reply. The ministry, however, has reported that 113 law enforcement personnel have sustained injuries since the commencement of the protests, and that police have been subjected to assaults involving “blunt objects, pyrotechnics, and flammable objects.” It asserts that it is “protecting public order” and that “each violation will be followed by an appropriate legal response.” Avtandil Kuchava indicates that a formal inquiry into his incident has been initiated, though he expresses minimal optimism for a resolution, despite the presence of numerous CCTV cameras in front of the Georgian parliament, where the event occurred. Although his assault took place early on Saturday, Georgian legal professionals contend that police persist in inflicting what they term torture upon demonstrators. According to the Legal Aid Network, the majority of individuals detained on Monday were “brutally beaten.” Public ombudsman Levan Ioseliani has posited that the prevalence of injuries to “the face, eye and head area” implies that police may have employed violent tactics as a punitive measure. On Tuesday, a man in his early 20s sustained an eye injury from a tear-gas canister and was transported to a hospital, where he was subsequently placed in an induced coma. Georgia’s Prime Minister has conceded that violence has occurred “on both sides,” yet he has specifically identified opposition parties and non-governmental organizations as instigators of the protests, and has attributed the unrest to members of “violent gangs.” Demonstrators reconvened on the main avenue outside parliament on Tuesday night, calling for a re-election of the disputed polls, which monitoring organizations claim were tainted by numerous irregularities. Nikolas, 30, remained resolute despite the potential for arrest or injury, stating, “Cases like that cause more anger. It’s impossible for us to step back now.” Aspirations of persuading the constitutional court to invalidate the parliamentary elections held on 26 October were thwarted on Tuesday, as the court dismissed a lawsuit filed by Georgia’s pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili and the four principal opposition factions she supported. Concurrently, additional arrests were reported outside parliament during the sixth night of demonstrations. Outside a detention facility situated on the periphery of Tbilisi, where many of the apprehended protesters are being held, a collective of activists displayed posters depicting severely bruised demonstrators, while one individual used a megaphone to chant, “freedom for detainees.” Mari Kapadnadze, one of the activists, articulated, “We want the international community to understand that this is not only a fight for Georgian people but it’s a fight between Russia and Western values.”