South Caucasus Republic: Excessive violence in Georgia during pro-European protests

The pro-European protests in the South Caucasus republic of Georgia resulted in serious excesses of violence. Videos of brutal scenes could be seen on social networks: groups of masked men in black clothing attacked peaceful people, beating and kicking them. A reporter from the opposition television station TV Pirveli was also beaten to the ground. The police watched the attacks without intervening, as several media reported.

President Salome Zurabishvili accused the Russian leadership of being behind these mysterious attacks. “The Russian regime is back to work in Tbilisi,” she wrote on the X platform about a video in which men dressed in black beat a man. “They chase civilians through the streets as they flee from terror, targeting politicians, the media and artists.” The men also broke down the doors of opposition offices and mistreated the politicians who were captured there.”

It is the tenth day in a row that thousands of Georgians have protested against a government decision to postpone EU accession negotiations until 2028. In the past few days there have been dozens of injuries and hundreds of arrests in street protests in the capital Tbilisi. People in other cities in the country are also protesting against a move away from Georgia’s pro-Western course, which has been a candidate for EU membership since 2023.

Ombudsman demands police security for citizens

The Georgian human rights commissioner Levan Iosseliani, who recently complained about the torture of dissidents in prison, called on the police to respond immediately to the violence and to ensure the safety of citizens. The ombudsman called on the authorities to hold the perpetrators accountable. The Interior Ministry announced an investigation. On television, Iosseliani said that the mood in the country had reached a “boiling point.”

MP Mamuka Mdinaradze from the ruling Georgian Dream party said the men in black were not acting on behalf of the leadership. Their goal was apparently to cause unrest and chaos. In Tbilisi, numerous clergy from various religions also protested against the violence during the pro-European protests. They expressed their solidarity with the demonstrators seeking to enter the EU.

Demonstrations continue

The participants are now no longer just demonstrating for EU accession and against police violence, but also for the release of those arrested.

The protests in the South Caucasus republic were triggered by the controversial parliamentary election at the end of October. The ruling Georgian Dream party was once again declared the winner. The Western-oriented opposition speaks of election fraud and does not recognize the results.