Georgia Ombudsman: 93 of 180 protest arrests cite police misconduct

Protesters complain to Georgian Ombudsman

According to information from the Georgian Ombudsman’s office, its representatives visited 180 individuals arrested from April 15 to May 17 during protest actions against the “foreign agents” bill in Tbilisi. Ninety-three of the arrested individuals complained about police misconduct, while 71 requested intervention, prompting the Ombudsman to refer the matter to the special investigative service. Additionally, during this period, the office’s hotline received 382 calls.

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The adoption by the Georgian parliament of the “foreign agents” law (“On Transparency of Foreign Influence,” or the “Russian law”) and the arrest of activists coincided with a visit to Georgia by a European Union delegation. Senior officials from EU member states strongly condemned these events.

Describing the situation as a “Georgian nightmare,” Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian parliament, Žygimantas Pavilionis, expressed his assessment.

“I am disappointed,” stated Michael Roth, Chairman of the International Relations Committee of the German parliament. According to Roth, he is aware that civil society activists and parliamentarians are demanding sanctions from the European Union, but the most severe sanction would be the devaluation of candidate status for EU membership.

Protesters complain to Georgian Ombudsman