Activist in Tbilisi beaten an hour after criticism from Parliament Speaker on social media
Activist Zuka Berdzenishvili assaulted in Tbilisi
On the morning of June 11, civic activist Zuka Berdzenishvili was attacked near his home in Tbilisi.
According to his friend Salome Nikoleishvili’s Facebook post, the incident occurred at 11 a.m., exactly one hour after Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili published a Facebook post about Berdzenishvili.
“An hour after Papuashvili’s post, ‘outraged citizens’ met Zuka at his house and attacked him. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence,” wrote Nikoleishvili.
Earlier, at 9:15 a.m., Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili had posted on Facebook, accusing certain journalists and activists of an “organized and politically motivated terrorist campaign.”
In his post, Papuashvili also mentions JAMnews and one of its staff members, criticizing the outlet for showing a stencil in a social media video that was sprayed in a public place on the Vakhushti Bridge: “84 traitors – 84 bullets in the back of the head.”
According to Papuashvili, this video is proof that the outlet, funded by the European Union, is directly calling for the execution of parliament members who voted for the “foreign agents” law.
JAMnews has repeatedly clarified that they interpreted the stencil’s message differently: 84 bullets treacherously fired at the country from behind. To avoid any misinterpretations, the outlet later removed the video and stated that they categorically oppose violence in any form.
Nevertheless, the propaganda machine of the ruling Georgian Dream party continues to attack NGOs, activists, and independent media.
The attack on activist Zuka Berdzenishvili shortly after the speaker’s Facebook post raises concerns that our colleagues may also be in danger. JAMnews holds the authorities fully accountable in this regard.
A photo of the beaten Zuka Berdzenishvili was published by his friend Salome Nikoleishvili, who is also mentioned in the post by Speaker Papuashvili.
“There were three of them, they waited in a car, sneaked up from behind, and then ran away,” Nikoleishvili wrote.
A few days earlier, Berdzenishvili had reported an ambush in a village, but managed to escape.
Later, Berdzenishvili wrote on his Facebook page that one of the attackers threatened to shoot him in the head.
“One of the three, while beating me as I lay on the ground, shouted, ‘What if I shoot you in the head?’ What he was doing wasn’t enough for him; he was still fantasizing. Poor parents of yours, guys. I remember all of you,” Berdzenishvili wrote.
The post by the Speaker of Parliament reads as follows:
“It is clear that these staged media scenes with ‘outraged citizens’ are actually part of an organized and politically motivated campaign of terror, conducted in the name of Europe,” Papuashvili wrote on social media.
According to him, “donors, by encouraging the political extremism of the organizations they fund, are normalizing terrorism.“
“Just in the last few days, employees of three NGOs funded by the EU budget have:
● Threatened MPs with ‘a bullet to the head’ (Levan Datunashvili, JAMnews)
● Made threatening and abusive phone calls to MPs (Salome Nikoleishvili, Zuka Berdzenishvili, the ‘Shame’ movement)
● Subjected an MP and their family to attacks and insults in a public place (Mariam Tsitsikashvili, representative of the ‘Georgian Reforms Association’ (GRASS)).”
Papuashvili’s post was a response to an incident at Tbilisi Airport on June 10. Mariam Tsitsikashvili, upon encountering MP Viktor Dzhaparidze, publicly accused him of betraying the country for supporting the “foreign agents” law. Tsitsikashvili recorded the confrontation on video, which was later uploaded to social media.
As a result, Tsitsikashvili and her companion were removed from their flight and arrested for minor hooliganism. They were later released. However, this is not the first instance where citizens have publicly labeled MPs who supported the law as “traitors” and “slaves.”
For over two months, a wave of threats and assaults has persisted, with derogatory graffiti appearing on the homes and offices of opponents of the controversial law.
One of the recent incidents occurred on June 7, when several individuals attacked and beat Niko Managadze, an activist and leader of the student movement, near Tbilisi State University.
Earlier that day, Tsotne Koberidze, a member of the “Girchi” party, was assaulted at a bus stop.
Despite clear video footage of the attackers, the investigation has yet to identify any of the assailants.
The Association of Young Lawyers released a special report on the violence against opponents of the “foreign agents” law. The report highlights that the attacks were supported by high-ranking state officials. This is evidenced by a public Facebook post from May 31, 2024, by Dmitry Samkharadze, a member of the parliamentary majority.
On May 31, Georgian Dream MP Dmitry Samkharadze posted a video on Facebook showing a building, which houses the British Consulate’s visa center, TV BMG, the New Party, and other international companies, being pelted with eggs. In his comment, Samkharadze stated that this act was in response to the alleged harassment of government members.
