Georgia: Police committing shocking human rights violations amid ongoing crackdown on protesters

17 December 2024

Hundreds of protesters in Georgia have faced brutal dispersal tactics, arbitrary detention, and torture and other ill-treatment during a crackdown on anti-government rallies over the past two weeks, Amnesty International revealed today.

A detailed briefing, based on testimonies from victims of police brutality, human rights defenders, and video evidence, highlights extensive human rights violations, including the unlawful use of force, torture and other ill-treatment, and deliberate targeting of journalists. Amnesty International's findings point to state-sanctioned repression aimed at silencing dissent.

The violent crackdown escalated after largely peaceful protests began on 29 November and has been repeated almost every day since, with protesters still taking to the streets. More than 460 people have been detained so far, with around 300 reporting severe beatings and other ill-treatment.

"Much of the Georgian police's brutal response to protests has been visible to the world thanks to the work of journalists risking their safety. However, far more brutal - and less visible - are the abuses that occur out of sight: widespread torture and other ill-treatment of protestors in detention, leaving scores with broken bones, fractures and concussions. Authorities are also targeting protesters with ongoing arrests, taking individuals from the streets and their homes one by one," said Deprose Muchena, Senior Director at Amnesty International.

"This cycle of injustice is perpetuated by the courts, which have imposed the harshest fines and custodial sentences on more than a hundred arbitrarily detained protestors. The impunity for police crimes must end and those arbitrarily detained for peacefully protesting must be immediately released."

Deprose Muchena, Senior Director at Amnesty International

"This cycle of injustice is perpetuated by the courts, which have imposed the harshest fines and custodial sentences on more than a hundred arbitrarily detained protestors. The impunity for police crimes must end and those arbitrarily detained for peacefully protesting must be immediately released."

The protests have repeatedly been met with unlawful force, including tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons allegedly mixed with chemical irritants. This heavy-handed response exacerbated tensions, and some isolated acts of violence occurred, mostly in response to the escalatory tactics used by police. More than 100 protesters sustained severe injuries, including fractured bones and concussions. Journalists were especially targeted, with more than 50 media workers reported injured.

Amnesty International verified numerous instances of torture and other ill-treatment, several of which also revealed the organized and systemic nature of these abuses, including coerced confessions and denial of timely medical care.

"Everyone … [who was taken to] the police department was covered in blood. About seven or eight people were in a dire condition - one had a fractured arm, and his face was so swollen he could not open his eyes … The police handed us pre-written protocols and told us things would get 'complicated' if we did not sign," Gela Megrelidze, a photographer detained on 1 December, told Amnesty International.

Lazare Maglakelidze, detained on 2 December, sustained a broken nose, a concussion, and serious head injuries after allegedly being beaten by several police officers in detention. He told Amnesty International: "[police] have those vans, that have been emptied out from inside and darkened and are used to torture protesters. Everybody, around 50-100 policemen, participated, you could hear them shout 'the fun is going to start now' getting us to the van. Anyone who goes around feels free to attack you, hit you, denigrate you in any way they want."

One particularly harrowing case is that of Davit Abuladze, a deaf protester who was arrested by police on 3 December. He was not apprehended at the mass demonstration itself but afterwards, while getting food and leaving the area some distance from where the protests had taken place. He was allegedly beaten on the street and in a police car before being detained for several hours without medical assistance or interpretation. Davit had to be hospitalized with severe injuries, including head trauma and concussion.

Since 4 December, the intimidation and violence against protesters has not only been carried out by law enforcement, but also by unidentified individuals, masked and armed with guns. These men, ostensibly affiliated with the authorities, have intimidated and attacked protesters and journalists with apparent police complicity in several instances.

Despite hundreds of reports of police brutality, not a single law enforcement officer or member of an armed masked group has been identified or held accountable. Courts routinely prioritize police testimony over video evidence and witness accounts, undermining fair trial rights and perpetuating state-sanctioned impunity.

Amnesty International calls on the Georgian authorities to end the crackdown, ensure justice for victims, and guarantee the right to peaceful protest. The international community must act in solidarity to ensure the government upholds its human rights commitments.

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