Human rights activists: police violence against protesters in Georgia is a crime
Systematic police violence against Georgian protesters
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association has published a report on the methods used by Georgian authorities to suppress peaceful protests. The report mentions instances of torture and beatings of demonstrators by law enforcement, as well as the rapid adoption of repressive laws and other means of intimidation, including the use of hired thugs to attack journalists and protesters.
Continuous large-scale protests began in Georgia in late November 2024 after the prime minister appointed by the ruling party “Georgian Dream,” Irakli Kobakhidze, announced that the government was suspending the country’s EU integration process until 2028.
According to the organization, since the protests began on November 28, the measures employed by the state to suppress peaceful and lawful protests have escalated to a new level of brutality.
State measures against protesters
- Torture and beatings of demonstrators and media representatives. Most of those detained during the protests were beaten;
- The use of water cannons, tear gas, and pepper spray in ways that endangered the life and health of the protesters (e.g., by adding chemicals to the water);
- Attacks by hired thugs on demonstrators and journalists;
- Deliberate targeting of journalists, including beatings of media representatives, which in some cases led to injuries and hospitalization;
- Arbitrary administrative detentions of around 500 people;
- Illegal searches of citizens in public places, apartments, and offices;
- The use of criminal justice mechanisms against demonstrators (up to 40 people arrested);
- Threats against government officials — officials who disagreed with the government’s stance were directly or indirectly threatened with dismissal or urged to resign;
- Changes to legislation (“On Civil Service,” “On Assemblies and Demonstrations,” “On Police,” “Code of Administrative Offenses”) aimed at limiting freedom of speech and assembly;
- Ineffective investigation of cases involving violence against protesters.
How did authorities use violence against protesters?
- The police used indiscriminate violence against protesters, including peaceful demonstrators who were not resisting. Law enforcement officers beat people lying on the ground with fists, feet, and rubber truncheons.
- According to testimonies from victims, police officers showed brutality even towards already detained protesters. The police beat demonstrators in official vehicles with the approval of senior officers, who gave instructions on how long the beatings should continue.
- Police officers involved in arrests and subsequent violence did not wear any identifying marks, such as badge numbers or name tags. This created a sense of impunity among police officers exceeding their authority.
- Law enforcement gave either direct or tacit approval for attacks by hired “titushas” [thugs] on journalists, protesters, and innocent bystanders. Several videos clearly capture interactions between the thugs and the police, as well as the inaction of law enforcement during the attacks.
How else do police actions threaten the life and health of protesters?
The use of tear gas, water cannons, and pepper spray against all demonstrators, including peaceful ones, was disproportionate in itself.
There were also a number of violations in the use of these methods by law enforcement. In some cases, grenades were fired not into the air on a ballistic trajectory, but directly at the demonstrators, leading to serious injuries.
Furthermore, law enforcement added chemicals to the water used by the water cannons.
This is dangerous for several reasons:
- The permissible concentration level of the chemical irritant in the water, which poses a significant health risk, is unknown.
- Because the clothing of protesters hit by the water cannons was soaked with chemicals, the effects of the irritants continued even after they left the demonstration site.
- When clothing is soaked with chemicals, it is impossible to control the extent and duration of their effect on a person. Health risks increase with higher concentration and longer exposure to chemical irritants. By adding chemicals to the water, law enforcement officers violate their duty to minimize harm.
- According to the guidelines of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, adding chemicals to water cannons is highly undesirable, as it can cause serious injuries and prolonged physical pain.
Additionally, special forces used a siege tactic, applying special means and violence against protesters from multiple directions. According to international human rights law, such actions create an disproportionate risk to the health of protesters. Furthermore, human rights defenders believe that the siege tactic not only violates the right to freedom of assembly but also serves as a tool of psychological terror against demonstrators.
