NGO Report: January 11-12 protests in Tbilisi and Batumi result in 30 arrests
Protesters arrested in Georgia
Non-governmental organizations have published a report on the events that took place in Tbilisi and Batumi on January 11-12. The report also highlights that since the parliamentary elections on October 26, 2024, Georgian authorities have detained over 480 people on administrative charges and 43 on criminal charges.
“On January 11 in Batumi, more than 10 people were detained on administrative charges, and one person was detained on criminal charges. Additionally, one individual was detained on administrative charges in Tbilisi.
On January 12, police carried out unlawful detentions in both Tbilisi and Batumi. In total, 16 people were detained in one day—7 in Batumi and 9 in Tbilisi. Of those, only two, who hold the status of members of parliament, were released, while the rest were transferred to temporary detention facilities,” the report states.
On January 10-11, the Tbilisi City Court held hearings on the pretrial detention of 19 defendants. The judges ruled to keep all of them in custody.
In their report, NGOs highlighted the bias of the judges and the lack of justification provided by the prosecution, which failed to present convincing grounds for pretrial detention during the hearings.
The NGOs also pointed out other procedural violations during the court sessions. For instance, one hearing involving eight defendants took place in an excessively small room. The overcrowding was so severe that one of the defendants reportedly felt unwell due to a lack of oxygen.
Lawyers representing over 10 detained participants of peaceful protests have highlighted the deliberate and unlawful use of force by police officers.
“Statements from lawyers and available footage clearly show that the police continue to violate the rights of protesters and mistreat them. In particular, the ongoing detentions had no legal basis.
Lawyers were not allowed timely access to their clients. Some of the detainees were subjected to physical and psychological abuse, as well as verbal insults by the police,” said Eka Gigauri, head of Transparency International Georgia.
The NGO’s statement also addresses the repressive measures taken against Batumi residents and the director of Netgazeti, Mzia Amaglobeli:
“On January 11, Mzia Amaglobeli, founder and director of the publications Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was detained administratively along with other protesters in Batumi. She was released after a few hours but was arrested again shortly afterward.
She is currently in pretrial detention, and investigators have indicated that she may face charges of assaulting a police officer, a crime punishable by 4 to 7 years in prison. The journalist reported being subjected to mistreatment by police officers.”
The report also mentions the detention of disability rights advocate Gia Jvarsheishvili on January 11 in Tbilisi:
“While walking toward the parliament building, he was attacked by several police officers. They forced him to the ground and used physical violence. He was taken to a medical facility with head injuries, yet he is still considered detained. This is the second time Gia Jvarsheishvili has fallen victim to police violence. The police first arrested him on December 2, 2024.”
